The Journey of the Different
by Kenya Grim
Summary: Being different is never easy, but sometimes it can take you in directions which lead to the most amazing things. Follows the timeline of the game...kinda...with a few tweaks. Anduin/OC story.
1. Chapter 1

Good day fellow writers/readers. This is my very first attempt at the Warcraft fiction. I love the game and the books, so I decided to take a stab at writing a story. I like Anduin so much, I needed to expand his character a bit. Enjoy and if you get a chance, let me know what you think. I have a few directions for this story. Not sure which I'll take. I guess it all depends on the response. Enough yammering from me.

I'm re-posting all chapters. I needed to tweak a few things. Enjoy!

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Kia sat quietly in the large tree outside the small cottage where she lived, the thick purple and green leaves only partially blocking her from view from the road. This was her favorite place. She loved to just sit and listen to nature, her legs swinging slowly under her from the branch where she perched. The temperature was moderate and the breeze was slight. It was almost a perfect day. Perfect days had been hard to come by since the shattering of the world, so Kia was determined to enjoy this one.

The cottage was many miles away from any other civilization, so there were few bipedal conversations to muddle her conversations with her animal neighbors. For Kia, like her human mother before her, had a gift for communicating with animals. Her best friend Quinn, a winterspring sabercat, sat outside with her, enjoying the slight breeze. Her father had given the cat to her as a cub when she was only three years old and it was with the wild cub that Kia learned of her gift and developed it fully.

Though she was only nineteen years old, still a child in the eyes of night elf society, she had no trouble living on her own. Her father, Malfurion Stormrage, had raised her among the night elves until she was fifteen, at which point she chose to move away from the city, to her mother's quiet cottage on the outer fringes of Ashenvale. She was young for a night elf, but an adult by human standards. Physically and mentally, she was an adult. No one questioned it, since there really was no true record on the maturity rate of a human/night elf hybrid.

Why the Archdruid, and leader of the night elves, had chosen to mate with a human, regardless of the fact he was happily married, was beyond Kia. She was afraid to ask her father the question and her mother had died during childbirth. She honestly really didn't want to know the circumstances behind her conception, but sometimes she wished her mother were around to answer uncomfortable questions. Unfortunately, human women were not physically capable of birthing night elf children without intervention by night elf magic. Her mother had learned this the hard way, having only a human midwife present during her labor.

Kia sighed loudly, looking blindly out into the forest. She was going to miss this. The forest had changed since the shattering of the world and Deathwing's return. Darkshore had been entirely annihilated and a great deal of forest had been torn down due to the continued conflict with the Horde, but Kia's home and surrounding forest had been lucky, for the most part, only suffering minor damage.

"You're being depressing." Quinn said in her sabercat language. To anyone else listening, it would have sounded like growls and chirps, but to Kia, the language was perfectly understandable.

"I have a right to be depressed." Kia replied. "I don't want to move to Stormwind. I'm an adult. I shouldn't have to do anything." The comment sounded like something a child would say, but she stood behind the statement. The whole situation was unfair.

She jumped down from her tree with elfish grace and sat next to her furry friend in a thick patch of grass by the house. The large cat was never very far from Kia's side. Quinn was not only Kia's friend, the cat was also big enough to ride and strong enough to fight. She was a very versatile companion. Their true communication allowed them to be more closely bonded than most night elves and their riding cats. Theirs was a true friendship.

"Think of it as an adventure. You like seeing new things, meeting new people." Quinn said, resting her head on Kia's lap. "You've never been to Stormwind before. You might like it."

Kia leaned back, resting on her elbows. "I do like the adventurous side of the idea and it will be nice to see if Stormwind is everything I've read, but I just don't want to move. I like it here. It's quiet. Peaceful."

"Yes, I like it here too, but your father's right. You need to learn about your other half. You've been raised as a night elf. It's time to learn what being human is all about. It's a whole new culture which applies to you just as much as the culture here. It's easy to forget you're half human."

It was a true statement. Kia herself often forgot she was half human, even though the human in her was plainly obvious by per appearance alone. She had been raised around tolerate night elves, so she had never been made to feel any different than any other night elf.

"I wish you and my father would stop being so logical." She replied, sitting up and scratching behind Quinn's ear mindlessly. Deep down, she knew her father was right. She was just as much human as elf, so it would be good for her to learn about life as a human, but that didn't mean she had to like it. She was stubborn. Her father said she got that from her human side.

"Winterspring sabercats and night elves are logical beings. It's something we have in common." Came a voice from the road. Her father walked up, leaving a small group of night elves on the road behind him. Mostly sentinels and a mage to portal everyone back to Darnassus. Malfurion was enjoying the day just as much as his daughter, opting to walk and commune with the forest, rather than portal to retrieve her. He only bothered with sentinels and portals because of Kia. Normally, he communed with nature on his own.

"Yes, they are. It's annoying." Kia replied, standing to address her father fully. He was much taller than her, standing over seven feet, to her barely six feet. She was short for an elf, but would be considered tall for a human woman of her age. She would probably reach over six feet when fully grown. Her growth had slowed considerably since she turned eighteen, but it hadn't stopped completely yet. When everything was said and done, she would always be short for an elf, but she would tower over most human women and many human men. It was just one more thing, on a very long list, which made her different.

"I know you like it here, Ki, but it will do you good to live among humans. Your mother would've wanted this. I'm afraid I haven't done much to help nurture your human side over the years. Sometimes it's easy to forget you're half human."

Kia sighed. Being raised as an elf meant she thought like one, felt like one. She never really thought about just how different she was, except when she passed a reflective surface. "You're right. I know you're right. You made the effort to arrange for King Wrynn to look out for me and let me stay at the castle. It would be considered rude to not show up. I don't like this much, but I'll go through with it. As you said, it'll be good for me and it's not like I have to stay forever." Kia looked down at the ground. "It just feels like you're sending me away." This was the first time she had voiced her opinion on the matter to anyone besides Quinn.

"I'm not sending you away. I love you, Kia. You're my daughter..."

"Your illegitimate daughter." she whispered quietly, knowing her father would still be able to hear the comment. It was a hurtful comment, but that fact didn't make it any less true. She was Malfurion's only biological child, but she still felt like an outsider around Tyrande.

Malfurion placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders. "You are my daughter and I'm doing this because I want you to grow up to be a well adjusted, well educated, young woman. This has nothing to do with what you are. I want what is best for you. Sending you to live with the humans of Stormwind wasn't an easy decision to make, especially with the world only now recovering from the attack by that cursed Aspect, but..."

"Tyrande hates me." Kia replied. The statement was a little off topic, but since she was voicing her opinion on things, she figured she might as well let it all out. She didn't know when she'd have another opportunity to speak so candidly with her father.

"She doesn't hate you."

Kia shrugged. "I don't blame her. I'd hate me, if I were her."

"She doesn't hate you. She loves you. And my decision has nothing to do with Tyrande. She agreed we'd be doing you a great injustice if we prevented you from exploring your human half. There is no better and safer place for you to explore than Stormwind."

Kia nodded, but she didn't truly believe her father's words. Tyrande was her father's wife and lifemate. It had to have hurt the night elf priestess to find out her beloved had a child with another woman, especially considering they had no biological children of their own. And not just another woman, but a human woman. Tyrande hadn't been a big advocate for the alliance they held with the humans of Stormwind at first, but she didn't protest too much, since she understood the need for it. Always the pragmatist, since she was guided very closely by the moon goddess. For her part, she didn't protest the day Malfurion brought the baby home. It didn't mean she liked her though.

This wasn't a new conversation, so Malfurion decided to let the topic drop. He had learned years ago he wasn't going to win the argument. "Are you ready to depart? Draya will portal us back to Darnassus. From there, we can portal to Stormwind when you're ready."

Kia felt a nudge behind her knees and saw Quinn, carrying her bag in her mouth. She had already sent most of her things to Darnassus. The cat was far more excited about the move than Kia, which only irritated her more. She took the bag from her cat, throwing it over her shoulder. At least her best friend was going with her to her new home and nothing said 'leave me alone' quite like a full grown sabercat.

"Well, according to Quinn, I'm ready. I've given up trying to argue with her. She's usually right, anyway."

Malfurion chuckled. He found the interactions between his daughter and her cat amusing. Her mother's ability to talk to animals had been the reason he had sought the human woman out in the first place, and though he had never intended for their relationship to go to such a level where the accidental conception of a child was possible, he was still pleased their daughter had inherited the trait. He looked over his shoulder, gesturing to the mage. Draya nodded, summoning a portal home, the shimmering magic beautiful against the backdrop of the forest.

"Trust me, my dear. This won't be so bad. I already have a man living in Stormwind who will act as a guide and teacher. Rell Nightwind has lived and served with the humans for years. He'll help you adjust. Listen to him and he'll teach you a great deal about being a ranger. That is, if you're certain it's still the direction you wish to go?"

Kia had inherited some druidic powers from her father, but she rarely used them and had no interest in developing them. She watched other druids being trained with interest, but not enough interest to follow in her father's footsteps.

It disappointed Malfurion, but he wanted his daughter to decide for herself what she wanted to do with her life. If she wanted to be a ranger, than she'd be a ranger. He couldn't deny her gift with animals would be an asset to the trade.

"I haven't changed my mind. At least not yet." She shrugged. "I'm stubborn, but who knows? Things may change someday."

Malfurion placed an arm around Kia's shoulders. "Yes, you and Rell will get along fine. He's not a ranger, more of a rogue, but he'll still be able to teach you some useful skills. He's taking temporary leave of his usual duties with SI:7 to help you."

The two walked to the now fully formed portal, Quinn following behind.

"This will be a good thing, you'll see." Malfurion said one last time, before stepping through the portal. Kia followed behind him, with Quinn close at her heels.

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To Be Continued. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2, re-posted. Thanks for reading! Enjoy.

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Malfurion stood looking over the balcony of the highest point of the Temple of the Moon. Tyrande stood next to him quietly. He had been quiet since returning from Ashenvale to pick up Kia. Her mate had always been a man of few words, but he was using even fewer words than normal.

"What's wrong my love?" She asked, placing a supportive hand on her mate's arm, though she already had a suspicion as to what was on his mind. There were very few things which could move Malfurion to silence. His daughter happened to be one of those things. Her imminent departure and his silent contemplation were not a coincidence.

Malfurion sighed, turning to face Tyrande.

"Am I doing the right thing, forcing Kia to live with humans? She's going along with it because she knows it will be good for her to learn about her other half and she rarely argues with my decisions, but I know she doesn't really want to leave. Am I wrong to force the issue? I know your relationship with Ki has always been a bit strained, but…"

The situation with Kia's arrival was complicated.

An anomaly had appeared in the forest, not too far from Ashenvale. It was causing the plants in the area to grow uncontrolled and the animals to exhibit strange behaviors. Malfurion had investigated it on his own, but had found no answers to its existence. At the time,there was a human woman living in Ashenvale who could communicate with animals. The Archdruid had enlisted her help. They spent a month near the anomaly, which is when their affair happened. It was a direct result of the magics being emitted from the anomaly.

Tyrande knew all this from a vision she had been granted, long before the events took place. Malfurion had confessed the affair right away, though the memory of it seemed to fade, just as the anomaly had faded once they left the area, and it never appeared again. It was as if the anomaly had existed exclusively so Kia to be conceived.

Tyrande was upset by it all, but when magic's involved, there was no one to blame, and her love for Malfurion was far deeper than any magical influence. They moved on, not knowing the human woman was pregnant. Tyrande's vision hadn't shown her that part.

It was true, when her mate first came home with this screaming half elf baby, stating she was his daughter and he wished for them to raise her together, Tyrande had disliked the child for a few moments. Fortunately, her maternal instinct overrode her dislike, and as the child grew up, she found she couldn't help but learn to love the girl as her own. Kia had inherited most of the traits she loved most in Malfurion. There was too much of her father in her to hate the child. She often was cold to the girl, but that was only because Ki needed to learn to deal with adversity. Living in between two species, never truly belong to either, was a challenging way to live. In the end, she would need to learn where she fit in the world and she could only learn that on her own. Tyrande wouldn't have done her any favors by coddling her, but the attitude didn't change the fact she still loved Kia deeply.

"I love Kia as I would my own blood. You know I do. You're doing the right thing. Kia is old enough to start finding her own path in the world. She needs to be challenged and pushed out of her comfort zone in order for her to grow. I think you'll be surprised at just how well she does in Stormwind. Rell will be there for her and she'll only be a portal way. Varian will keep her safe."

Malfurion nodded. "I'm not used to being this insecure."

"Parent's are always insecure when it comes to their children. Particularly when they grow up and move away. She'll be fine."

* * *

Kia spent the night in Darnassus. It felt like she was saying goodbye to an old friend. She spent most of the night just watching the sky from the highest tree in the city. No one bothered her, not even Quinn.

The next morning Kia stood beside her father as two mages summoned a portal to Stormwind. Malfurion had offered to accompany her, but Kia had declined the offer. She was an adult and this was something she needed to do on her own. She was nervous, but she kept her resolve.

"Good luck, Ki. Take care of yourself and let Rell help you. You will not be alone. Also, listen to the commands of the king. We live in dangerous times and if anything happens, do as you're instructed." He wasn't overly concerned about Kia following the commands of King Wrynn. She had been raised to understand hierarchical structures and knew all the niceties associated with the humans of Stormwind. As much as she disliked the idea of living with humans, she had prepared for it, nonetheless.

"I'm not a child anymore father. I'll be fine." Kia replied. Her voice sounded confident, but her mind was far less than sure. Change was a natural part of the world, but it didn't mean Kia had to be comfortable with it.

Malfurion chuckled. Kia didn't hear her father laugh very often. He was correct that they lived in dangerous times. It was good to hear him laugh before she left.

"I'm a father, I worry." He leaned down and hugged her.

Kia returned the hug for a few moments, then pulled away. "Okay, enough of this. If I don't go now, I'll never leave. I'd hate to keep anyone important waiting."

Malfurion kissed her on the forehead, then stepped back away from the portal. Kia picked up her bag, securing it onto her shoulder, and patted Quinn on the head. The massive cat was wearing her saddle with a bag hanging on each side. "Ready to go, my friend?"

"If you are." Quinn replied.

Kia took a deep breath to steal her nerves, then let it out slowly. "Then let's do this." She said, taking one last look at her father, then stepped through the portal. Quinn trotted happily behind her.

Seconds later, they both emerged into a large room full of stained glass windows. There were two human mages helping to hold open the portal on their end. Once she was through, the mages on the Darnassus end interrupted the portal and it closed behind her.

Standing before her were three human men and a night elf. Two of the humans were obviously soldiers, for they were heavily armored and armed with large broadswords. The third human was Varian Wrynn, King of Stormwind. She had never formally met the man, but she knew a great deal about him and had seen him from afar a few times while with her father. It surprised Kia slightly that the king himself had chosen to greet her on her arrival.

"Welcome to Stormwind, my lady." Wrynn said, taking a single step closer to her. "I'm Varian Wrynn."

Kia bowed her head slightly in respect, following the night elf tradition when addressing a king, rather than using the human custom of curtsying. "It's an honor to meet you, Your Majesty. I thank you for allowing me to visit."

The King smiled at her. It was a nice smile. Kia had a feeling he didn't get to use his smile very often, if he was anything like her father.

"Malfurion explained your circumstances to me when we spoke. You are more than welcome here. I have arranged chambers for you in the castle and I was going to assign you two guards, but your father insisted that Rell will be taking care of your welfare during your stay."

Rell Nightwind stepped forward, bowing his head. He was almost as tall as her father, with long purple hair, a full beard and glowing gold eyes. He was more slender, though, obviously build for his roguish profession. "It's nice to finally meet you, Kia. Your father has told me much."

"It's good to finally meet you, as well." Kia replied, returning the bow.

"Well, I will leave you in Rell's charge." Varian turned to the night elf. "If you will give her a tour and show her to her chambers." It wasn't a command, but it didn't feel like he was asking either. The king was shorter than the night elf, but he held a presence which was both majestic and intense. This was not a man to take lightly. His presence fit his status.

"Of course, Your Majesty." Rell replied.

"My lady." He said with a final nod. The king left the room, followed closely by his soldiers. Rell and Kia were left alone.

Kia sighed louder than she intended. "Will they always call me 'my lady'?" She asked.

Rell chuckled. "Probably. Humans do like their titles. Not that night elves are much better."

Quinn made a few meowing sounds.

"Quinn greets you. She's eager to see this place. Particularly the forests. She's a typical frostsaber. I think she wants to see what kind of hunting opportunities will be available to her."

"We'll get to all of that later. First, let's drop off your belongings in your chambers and get you acclimated."

Rell led the way. They walked down a winding staircase, which ended outside in a small meadow. They had been in a tall tower. The tower was surrounded by shops and inns which were bustling with activity, though the meadow itself was fairly deserted.

"This is the mage tower. It's where most portals are generated." Rell explained. They headed down the street and Kia didn't know what to look at first. The city was much noisier and busier than Darnassus. The streets were lined with shops selling all kinds of merchandise. There were market carts along the streets selling fruits, vegetables, breads and other goods. As they progressed closer to the castle, the shops began to sell armor and weapons. The city was one big marketplace, containing all the sights, smells and sounds one would expect. Kia found it almost overwhelming.

"I hear you're training to be a ranger?' Rell asked.

Kia jogged up and walked next to Rell, since she managed to lag behind looking at everything. His greater height and longer strides made keeping up with him challenging. "I am. I'm already very good with a bow."

"I'll be working with you on your melee technique. Every good ranger should know how to defend themselves at close range, just in case. You can't count on the enemy keeping their distance during a fight. I've also been told you have some druidic power."

Kia grumbled under her breath. It figured her father would tell Rell about that. Her father wanted her to become a druid. He never said it outright to her, but she knew. To be fair, she had thought about it, but the magic she possessed just didn't feel natural to her. It figured her father would turn this visit to Stormwind into a chance to change her mind about her chosen profession.

Rell gave Kia a knowing look at seeing her reaction to his comment. "I know you have no desire to learn to be a druid, but it would probably be beneficial to learn how to use your powers anyway. It's a dangerous world and you never know when a little bit of magic could come in handy." Rell stopped, turning to look at Kia fully. "It's up to you, of course. I won't force you to do anything, but just keep it in mind. You can never have too many tricks up your sleeve."

Kia thought about it for a moment. Damned if Rell didn't have a point. "Fine. I'll at least talk with a druid trainer. I won't promise I'll dedicate much time to it, but you're right, if things get bad, it might be nice to know some magic. You can never be too prepared."

"Exactly!" Rell said confidently as they continued to walk towards the castle. At first, it didn't look very large, but the closer they got, the bigger it seemed. The structure wasn't anything like any of the buildings back home. They were equally as large, but the architecture of the castle was completely foreign to Kia, making it slightly intimidating. She did have to admit, the stonework was impressive and beautiful in its own way.

The streets were crowded with all kinds of people and not just humans. Kia saw dwarves and gnomes, along with several draenei and a few elves. She began to believe she might not stick out as much here as she first thought. True, she was still fairly visually unique, but there seemed to be quite a bit of diversity in this city.

This might not be so bad afterall.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3, re-posted. Read and Enjoy!

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The archery field wasn't empty when Anduin arrived for his lessons.

Normally the archery field was kept empty when the crown prince was scheduled to work on this swordsmanship. For his safety, or for some imaginary self confidence issue his father seemed to think his son possessed. Regardless of the reason, he honestly didn't mind the quiet.

Though Anduin wasn't particularly good with heavier weapons, the king insisted his son continued to train with them. The young prince didn't like it much, but it was one battle he chose not to fight with his father. They already had a fairly strained relationship and Anduin didn't like to add to the problem needlessly.

There was a lone female occupant on the field, shooting energy bolts from a bow at a target, with a large light purple and white sabercat lying in the shade near her. She didn't look very old, probably late teens, with long blue/green hair, pulled back into a ponytail. Her skin was also slightly blue/green tinted and Anduin could just make out her ears, which were human size, but came to subtle points. She looked over to him and he noticed her eyes glowed, but not brightly like most night elves. Her eyes were light blue with a slight silver glow. All of her night elf features were present, but muted. She was quite beautiful.

Anduin smiled as he approached her. His father had told him the Archdruid's daughter would be staying with them for a few months, but he had not been informed she had already arrived. Of course, he didn't have many long conversations with his father these days. Since Deathwing's return and the resulting cataclysm, the king had been a very busy man and even Anduin didn't see him everyday.

"You must be Archdruid Stormrage's daughter." He said.

The young woman looked to the cat, seeming to laugh at an unspoken joke, but nodded. "I am. And you must be the crown prince."

"Sorry, I'm Anduin. I guess it's rude to address someone by what they are before you learn their name."

"I'm just glad you didn't call me 'my lady'. I'm Kia."

They nodded at each other, neither of them entirely sure what protocols to use when addressing the other, since they were alone and it seemed silly to be formal with their greetings, but they had both been raised to us them. They laughed at the slightly awkward moment and the ice was broken.

"I've learned that women practicing weapons work don't like being called 'my lady'."

Kia laughed again, taking another shot and hitting the target right down the middle, leaving a small hole. "You're the first person not to call me it, besides Rell. I like you already."

"Father didn't tell me you'd arrived." He put down his sword and pulled a half dozen small throwing knives out of a small pouch at his side. The prince might have been a lackluster warrior, but he was an expert at throwing knives and was very good with a bow. He turned to face the target next to the one Kia was using and threw a knife, hitting the middle of the target.

"Wow, you have a good eye." Kia commented, taking another shot at the target and making another small hole above the first one.

"I'm much better at throwing knives and shooting bows than I am using heavy weapons, but father insists I continue to train with them anyway. I think he's still set on me being a warrior." He paused, pushing back bad memories, but quickly recovered, changing the subject. "You're not bad yourself with that bow."

"I learned how to shoot a bow before I could even walk straight. It's one of the reasons I'm training to be a ranger. That, and my ability to talk with creatures such as Quinn here." She pointed to the cat still lounging under a tree.

"So, it's true. You can talk to animals?" Anduin asked. His father had spoken about Kia's gift for talking with animals, but Anduin didn't truly believe it. It seemed impossible.

Kia nodded, placing her bow on her back. It stuck there without the help of any kind of strap or clasp, as far as Anduin could see. It had to be some type of magic. "Yes, it's true. I've been talking with animals almost longer than I've been talking to people. What they have to say is usually more interesting anyway. Apparently, I inherited the ability from my mother. She died giving birth to me."

"I'm sorry." Anduin replied. "My mom died when I was very young, too."

Kia looked over at Quinn as the large cat stood, stretched and came over to sit next to her. She made sounds which were little more than growls to Anduin. Kia rolled her eyes. Quinn always had good timing when it came to breaking up awkward conversations.

"Quinn says you're very cute, for a human."

A slight blush formed on Anduin's face. He had heard several people refer to him as a very handsome boy, but he'd never been called cute to his face before. "Well, thank you Quinn."

"That's one thing you'll always find with animals, they don't feel the need to censor what they say. They'll give you the truth, at length, whether you want it or not. They understand everything you say, even if they don't have the muscle structure necessary to reply in the same language."

"So it would seem."

Anduin was just recovering from Quinn's comment when a older man wearing shining gold armor walked onto the field. He was carrying a broadsword. Kia remembered him as one of the knights Rell had introduced her to when they arrived at the castle for the first time. Rudely, she had been too at awe of the castle, and the city in general, to really pay attention to the name. It was Rodrick, she thought.

"I see you've met our newest resident." He said, bowing to them. "It's nice to see you again, my lady."

Kia fought not to roll her eyes, but lost the battle. Fortunately, Rodrick was too busy kissing her hand to notice, but Anduin had to muffle a snort.

"Are you alright, Your Highness?" He asked Anduin. The prince simply nodded, his hand covering the smirk on his lips.

"If you'll excuse us, my lady, we have practice to get to."

Anduin retrieved the knife he had thrown from the target, putting the throwing knives away. He picked up the sword he had carried onto the field with him. Kia could tell he didn't like the weapon much, since he opted to carry it by his side, rather than wear it attached to his belt. Well, not like wasn't the phrase, more like, not comfortable with it. He didn't look natural holding it.

"That's alright Sir Rodrick, Kia has her own training to get to." Rell said from the side of the field behind them. None of them had seen him arrive, but Kia was getting used to the night elf showing up out of thin air. He really was a very good rogue. You had to be good to be a part of SI:7. Rell was carrying a sheath which held a medium sized blade.

"Shall we Your Highness?" Rodrick said to Anduin.

"Hope I see you again soon." The prince said with a bow. "It was nice to meet you, Kia."

"Likewise." She replied with a nod of the head.

The prince and the knight headed to the far end of the field, leaving Rell and Kia alone.

"I see you and the prince seemed to be getting along."

Kia shrugged. "I guess so. He wasn't shy, he just came right up and said hello. He seemed nice enough. How old is he?"

"Fourteen. He's a good kid, but I don't think he'll ever be the warrior is father wants him to be. His talents rest on a less violent path, but he's got a good head on his shoulders. What he lacks in physical strength, he makes up for with intelligence, magic and heart. There's nothing wrong with the future king being a priest and practitioner of the Light. It's better than trying to force him into skills he's not cut out for."

"Then why is he training using a sword?" She asked, watching as he worked with the knight. She could tell he wasn't comfortable with the weapon in his hand. He did the exercises perfectly and he was very quick, but he didn't look comfortable.

"Basically for the same reason I'm teaching you how to use melee weapons and insisting you learn to use at least some of your druidic powers. It's even more important for him. As king, he'll need to be able to adapt to many situations. Such is the life of a crown prince."

Rell handed the sheath in his hand to Kia. "This is for you. We won't being working with it until you've been trained to use it, but I thought it might help motivate you."

Kia pulled the blade out of the sheath. It was too big to be considered a dagger, but much too small for a sword. It was thin and light, but looked unbelievably sharp.

"This is a elvish short sword, both one weapon and two. I asked your father to have it forged for you when he requested I train you. If you're ever forced to fight up close, you need a weapon that is small and light enough for you to wield, but just as deadly as a sword swung by someone twice your size. Considering the races comprising the Horde, facing someone larger than you is entirely possible, almost likely. The weapon looks delicate, but the blade is just as strong and durable as any sword."

"Thank you Rell. It's beautiful." She said, admiring how the sun reflected off the thin blade, showing the fine detail work etched on its smooth surface. The hilt was actually two hilts, fit together to make one sword whose blades seemed to weave together, but the weapon could be pulled apart to make two separate S shaped blades. The etchings were common blessings written in elvish and the whole weapon seemed to hum with magic. Kia pulled the weapon apart and then back together experimentally, feeling the magic which held it together.

"You're welcome, Ki. I'll even let you do more than just look at it, once I'm confident you won't cut something off by accident." Rell reached into his belt and pulled out two wooden swords. One was almost the same size as the elvish short sword. "For now, we work with these." He handed the smaller one to Kia.

Kia Chuckled, carefully returning the blade to its sheath. "You'll get no argument from me. I like all my fingers where they are."

"I've also spoken to Sheldras Moontree about starting you on daily druid exercises. Sheldras has been here for years and he's very good at what he does. He's agreed to train you in druidic magic."

Kia rolled her eyes and groaned. "This is starting to feel more like training, and less like learning how my other half lives. Did my father even send me here to learn about humans or was that just a ploy to make me into a druid?"

Rell laughed. "It won't be that bad, once you get into it. Now, let's get started."

Rell hadn't actually answered her question.

* * *

Anduin worked for a full hour with Rodrick. No matter how much he tried, he just couldn't find a good rhythm with the sword. He did all the moves correctly, but if it had been a real battle, Anduin knew he'd probably be dead several times over.

During his practice he kept looking over at Kia, who was working with wooden swords with Rell. He could tell she'd only started learning to use a bladed weapon. Unlike the bow, which visually looked like an extension of her arm when she shot it, the mock blade was awkward and clumsy in her hands. To his dismay, she did seem to get the hang of it quickly, though.

"Anduin, I feel like I don't have your full attention." Rodrick said, only mildly irritated. "Why don't we call it a day."

"I'm sorry, Rodrick. I'm not used to having company on the field." He replied, putting his sword away. He felt bad for wasting the knight's time. The young prince might not have been good with a sword, but he did try to put his whole focus on the task when training. Not liking something didn't mean it was okay to not try. Anduin would never be accused of not putting his whole heart into everything he did.

"There's actually a reason I asked Rell to bring Kia here during your training time. You need the distraction. In a battle, it probably won't be just you and your opponent. You need to learn to be aware of your surroundings, but not let them distract you. I doubt you'll somehow manage to never see a battlefield. Kings, particularly Wrynn kings, are as known for their presence on the battlefield, as they are for their time actually sitting on their throne."

Rodrick didn't know what would be a better distraction, sharing the field or the fact one of the people on the field with Anduin was a young woman. True, she was five years older than him and was considered an adult, where Anduin was still just a youth, but they were close enough in age for Anduin to consider her a possible friend. He only had a handful of friends, most of them not actually living in Stormwind, and he always took the opportunity to make a new one, regardless of age. The prince wasn't shy. Anduin was also getting to the age where women were becoming more of an interest to him, or more importantly, a distraction. And Rodrick had to admit, Kia was striking.

"I'm guessing we'll be sharing the field for all future training?" The prince asked, still watching the elves work.

"You're quite right. For now, we'll return to the castle. Your father should be returning today from his trip to Westfall. I know he'll be eager to see you."

Anduin nodded, taking one last look at the dueling elves before heading back. The king had been in Westfall, wanting to witness the damage from what was now being called the cataclysm for himself. Some areas had been hit hard, others barely got hit at all. Stormwind itself was being repaired after the black dragon Aspect left deep gouges in the castle walls and had completely destroyed a section of the city by the harbor. In the end, Stormwind had been lucky. Anduin had been visiting Ironforge when things started to go wrong on Azeroth and he knew first hand the dwarves had not been so lucky. The thought still made his heart ache. He had lost more than one dear friend.

Anduin had asked to go with his father to Westfall, but he was told it was too dangerous. The king called leaving his son behind protecting him. Anduin called it sheltering him. At least now, with Kia around, he might have a reason to want to stay home. He didn't really have any friends in Stormwind. At least none his own age. Kia was probably the closest thing the night elves had to a princess and Anduin was looking forward to getting to know her.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four re-posted. Read and Enjoy. Thanks for reading

* * *

Two weeks later, Anduin and Kia were almost inseparable. Anduin had a naturally charismatic personality and Kia really didn't know anyone in Stormwind, so it was a natural match. The age difference didn't really matter much to them, since neither of them had ever really gotten much of a chance to be kids and they were actually very similar in many respects. Both were nobility, regardless of being born to different species.

"Are you sure you don't mind me tagging along?" Anduin asked for the fifth time. He had been going with Kia to her druid training since her second session. He'd even managed to help her with her magic. Magic seemed to come as naturally to Anduin, as weapons work came naturally to Kia. She liked having him there, but he always asked if she didn't mind each time. He didn't want to overstep.

"I actually like you watching. You're a very good source of moral support. It's nice to find someone who's just like me. Not good at everything, but still tries."

Kia found out early into her druid training that she wasn't overly powerful in magic. She had inherited the talent from her father, but it wasn't a strong talent. True, if you have a gift and spent enough time practicing, anyone could get good with magic eventually, but it was a rough road for Kia. Anduin was able to help her make sense of it all, even though his magic was from a different source. If there was one thing the prince was very good at, it was magic. Using the Light was something Anduin excelled at with very little effort.

In return, Kia started to work with Anduin on his melee work outside of the practice field. She ended up being a natural when it came to hand to hand, non-magic combat. She wasn't as good with a blade as she was with her bow, but with practice, she would be. Her elvish reflexes, along with her natural speed and grace only worked to her advantage.

They arrived in the small clearing just outside the harbor to find Sheldras waiting for them. He wasn't surprised Anduin accompanied Kia. He had gotten used to having the prince around while they worked.

"On time, as usually. Did you get a chance to work on the spell from yesterday?" He asked, preparing a straw filled dummy target wearing a horde tabard. There were several places in Stormwind which already had training dummies set up for public use, but the elder druid didn't want to discourage Kia's magic use by forcing her to practice in front of others. At least not yet. Kia wasn't the self conscious type, but Sheldras didn't want to create any insecurities, considering expectations were always higher for those who descended from powerful blood.

"Anduin helped me with my focus, but I still can't really sense nature all too clearly. I guess we'll find out if it helped or not." She replied, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Once the target was ready and everyone was behind her, Kia reached into the part of her mind where her magic was kept and concentrated on the power of the world around her, the way Anduin had taught her. I small purple ball of magic formed in hand. It flashed and churned like lightning. She opened her eyes and released the ball at the target. It wasn't very powerful, but it was focused enough to leave a mark on the dummy.

"Better." Sheldras replied. The previous day, Kia hadn't even managed to form a ball with her magic. "Power will come with practice, but at least you were able to fully define your magic this time. Once you get accustomed to feeling the power of the world around you, you'll be able to harness it better. It's all a matter of training your mind. It's progress."

Kia continued to practice, adjusting when Sheldras made a comment. Anduin sat next to a tree behind them, watching closely, forming and holding a small ball of magic in his hand. Unlike Kia's magic, which was a dark purple color and originated from nature itself, his was bright gold. The power of the Light. It came easy to him, though he'd only been practicing for a short time. He had been born with a natural affinity to the Light.

* * *

Unbenounced to any of them, two men watched the training from the castle wall.

"It's nice to see the kids getting along." Rell said to Varian. The elf had been on his way to a meeting when he spotted the king watching the two kids. He seemed content, which wasn't a word you used to describe Varian very often. The king had been carrying a very heavy weight on his shoulders, as for late.

"I like the fact Kia is enough of a distraction for Anduin that he no longer asks to go with me to survey damage. After what happened in Ironforge, I feel better knowing he's safe in Stormwind." He scoffed. "As safe as any of us can be these days."

"And, she's helping him with his swordsmanship. I've been observing his training while working with Ki. There's been marked improvement in the last week alone. I don't think he'll ever be a warrior like yourself, Your Majesty, but he'll be proficient enough. We all have our gifts, everything else we have to work at, even Anduin."

Varian sighed, watching his son playing with the small ball of magic in his palm. The king had to admit, his son looked happy. He had hoped Anduin would eventually take to melee combat, but his son just wasn't a fighter. He held a great deal of power, just not the same kind of power as his father. "I've come to accept his limitations. He's a powerful young man. Just in a different way than I had hoped. He may be slow to learn with heavy weapons, but he's mastered skills I will never possess and he's twice the diplomat I'll ever be. If we were at peace, he'd be the perfect king."

Rell chuckled. "He'll make a good king someday, regardless. And I wouldn't concern yourself about accepting that your son won't be following in your exact footsteps. I think Malfurion has had to come to the same conclusion with Kia." They could see that after only about a half hour of practice, Kia was losing steam. She was now sitting next to Anduin, drinking from a waterskin and watching as he tossed the golden ball of energy into the air, where it exploded into a shower of tiny harmless sparks, making both of them laugh. "Just getting her to agree to train as a druid at all was a big victory for him, but I doubt she'll ever reach his level."

Varian chuckled. "We're talking about Malfurion Stormrage here, very few beings will ever reach his level."

He stood quietly, still deep in thought, watching the children getting a chance to be young. His son had been through so much and has been forced to grow up much faster than most people his age. "It's good to see Anduin laugh. To see him act like a child. Sometimes I fear he's growing up too quickly." Varian said, turning to return to the castle. Rell followed along side.

"It's good to see things returning to normal."

The King nodded. "It is."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five re-posted. I added a new section between Varian and Kia. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Anduin left the cathedral and strolled towards the castle, missing Kia's presence. When they were together, his bodyguards kept more of a distance. Alone, they stayed about two feet behind him, which was annoying. He understood his father's wish for him to be protected, but they could at least keep their distance while he was still in Stormwind.

He was lost in his own thoughts about his lesson with Archbishop Benedictus. He found his priest training far more rewarding than his weapons training. It felt like he was making real progress in becoming a priest and servant to the Light. What was started in Ironforge was progressing at what he thought was a good pace.

Normally on his walk back to the castle, he completely ignored the conversations around him, but as he was about to turn a corner, he heard a name which stopped him in his tracks, his guards stopping quickly behind him. He stood quietly, listening.

"...Kia, I think." Said the first voice. The owner of the voice sounded young, probably only just slightly older than Anduin.

"Well, whatever her name, she's gorgeous. She has the perfect amount of elf in her. I'd jump at the chance to get a closer look at her features, if you understand my meaning." Said a second voice, equally as young, but slightly deeper than the first.

The first voice scoffed. "Yeah right. She's got that SI:7 night elf watching her every move. You wouldn't get close enough to even say hi. Not to mention she's the daughter of the head druid. You wouldn't have a chance."

"I guess it's better that way." Replied the second voice. "She's a mongrel. My parents would be horrified if they found out I was fooling around with a night elf, let alone a mutt, as exciting an experience as it probably would be. I hear elves have incredible stamina."

This comment angered Anduin . Kia was a amazing person. Far more than the sum of her parts and she didn't deserve to be talked about in such a way. He didn't care if they thought she was beautiful, since she was, her elf features giving her an exotic look, but no one had the right to call her a mongrel or a mutt. Those words were inappropriate to use when referring to a young woman.

He straightened his posture and walked around the corner. "She doesn't like being called a mongrel or a mutt, you know." Anduin said matter of factly in his best regal voice, stopping in front of them, his bodyguards in their customary place behind him. "I'm shocked anyone in the city would dare call any woman such disrespectful names. Particularly this woman. You know who she is and who guards her."

The two young men stood speechless. Anduin recognized them. One of them was the son of the innkeeper in the marketplace, the other was the son of one of the blacksmiths. They had probably never been this close to any of the royal family before. Anduin didn't like pulling the 'royal' card on people. He liked to consider everyone equal in the eyes of the Light, but this was his friend they were speaking ill of and he could not let it stand. He could see the fear in their eyes and a small part of him was enjoying it.

"Of course not, Your Highness. I didn't mean it. I'll never speak of her or anyone else like that again. I promise. Please don't tell anyone what I said!" Said the owner of the second voice, the one that had made the comments. His words were frantic.

Anduin paused, as if considering. "I won't, but I'd be more careful in the future. Her bodyguard's a rogue with SI:7. He pops up out of nowhere all the time. You never know where he might be and he'd be far less civil with you than I. Not to mention she does travel with a very large cat. Being mauled by a sabercat would be unpleasant, I'd imagine."

"It won't happen again, Your Highness. We promise." Said the owner of the first voice. He had not made the comments, but he was equally as scared. The two nodded in agreement and scurried away.

Anduin allowed himself a small smile, satisfied with the results of his plan. He turned and found his two bodyguards also smiling under their helms. Over the weeks, they had gotten to know and like Kia as well, not minding the extra charge her presence entailed.

"Well handled, Your Highness."

Anduin's smile grew bigger and nodded. "Thank you. Shall we continue to the castle?"

"After you, Your Highness."

They continued on their way, Anduin now happy Kia wasn't with him. She didn't need to hear such things.

* * *

Rell smiled from the shadows as he watched Anduin's confrontation with the two older boys. The prince handled himself well.

Kia was safely tucked away in the castle library, at the moment. He didn't feel the need to keep an eye on her all the time. Quinn was with her most of the time anyway and the frostsaber was a far better bodyguard against the dangers of Stormwind than he'd ever be.

Rell knew occasionally he'd hear talk from people who found Kia's unusual appearance a source of mockery and he was just as happy as the prince that Kia hadn't been with him today. She was a hardy young woman and intelligent enough to know some people were not kind, but she wasn't used to hearing such things about herself. Humans had far less tact than night elves, particularly the young ones.

Rell followed along behind the two youths, making sure they had dropped the subject. Kia could pretty much take care of herself physically, so Rell spent a good portion of his time listening for any emotional harm that might possibly come her way. Honestly, the guilty parties were usually teenagers or young men and there weren't many offenders. For the most part, Kia was well liked around Stormwind, regardless of what she was and how she looked.

The boys stopped near a local inn and stood talking quietly. Rell slipped out of the shadows and casually walked by them, eyeing them carefully. Their eyes widened as they watched him pass, Rell being a highly recognizable figure in Stormwind. He turned a few feet away from them and looked in their direction again. This caused them to jump and scurry away.

Rell doubted he'd have a problem with them again.

* * *

Kia sat quietly, reading a particularly large book about the history of Stormwind. It was fascinating to read about the Wrynn line. She hadn't realized they had been ruling Stormwind for so many generations. She was so engrossed in the book, she didn't hear the king when he walked in behind her.

Varian had been heading towards the war room when he spotted Kia in the Library. Quinn was snoozing lazily by her side. The cat opened an eye when he entered the room, but didn't move or make any sounds.

"Finding anything interesting in there?" He asked, once he was next to her table, so he wouldn't startle her.

Kia looked up at him and smiled. "I am. Stormwind has an interesting history. So does your bloodline. I never realized your family has been ruling the city for so long."

Varian took a seat at the table next to her. "The Wrynn family has been here a very long time, yes. This is one of the reasons I act the way I do around Anduin. He's important, though I do sometime feel I've forced him to grow up too fast."

"Trust me, your Majesty, I understand. Take me, for example. I'm nineteen. In Stormwind, I'm an adult. I look like an adult and I'm expected to act like an adult. In Darnassus, I'm barely considered a youth. I still act like an adult, but I'm easily forgiven for acting like a child. I understand the pressure to act differently simply because of who my father is, regardless of my age."

"I do see many similarities between you and Anduin. I think it'll be good for him to have you around." Varian looked comfortable and relaxed. He was almost a different person than when he was around those who expected him to be the king and only the king. "And there is no need to be so formal when we're alone. You can call me Varian."

Kia chuckled. "Okay, as long as you do the same and call me something other than 'my lady'."

Varian actually laughed out loud. The sound was almost startling, though still pleasant. "You are so much like Anduin. You have a deal, Kia."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter re-posted. Read and Enjoy.

* * *

"I can't believe you're leaving." Anduin said. He'd been saying it to Kia a lot lately. Basically ever since she told him she'd be departing Stormwind.

It had been just over a year since her arrival in Stormwind and she'd managed to make the city just as much her home as Darnassus or Ashenvale. She had found peace here, even if it wasn't the same kind of peace as with the elvish cities. She had thrived among the humans, just as Malfurion had hoped she would. She now felt more comfortable, more whole, in her own skin.

She had also gained the attention of several of the local mages during her stay. Not for her talents as a ranger, but for her gift of speech with animals.

The red dragons of Borean Tundra were having some problems and there was a communications gap with the mages at the Amber Ledge. The mages of the Kirin Tor made a request for Kia to travel to Northrend to help sort things out and also for her to train to ride dragons, if the dragons themselves would agree. Dragons didn't just let any biped hop on their backs. To them, most humanoids were considered lesser beings and it was insulting to be considered a mode of transportation.

Kia jumped at the opportunity. During her stay in Stormwind, she had prevented a plague caused by tainted oats from wiping out most of the city's horses. She hoped she could help the red dragonflight, though their problems were bound to be much larger and more complicated than contaminated food. Dragons were just as intelligent as humans, more so even, but not all of them could speak a bipedal language. Those who could were slowly dying off or leaving the company of the Kirin Tor.

They were in Kia's chambers. Kia was packing a bag while Anduin sat in the window, watching the people below. "I know you didn't come here to live forever, but I've just gotten used to having you around."

Quinn grumbled something from the bed, where she was currently lounging.

"Quinn says she's going to miss you." Kia translated, turning to face her friend. "And for the record, I'm going to miss you, too. I've learned so much about being human from you and your father. Stormwind will always be a second home to me, but I can't stay here forever. If my talents can be of use, then I need to try. And I might get a chance to learn how to ride a dragon! Besides, you're leaving soon, too. You get to do what you do best, which is make people like you."

Anduin nodded. "I guess I should be thankful father is letting me out of the castle. I'll finally have another chance to show him I can take care of myself."

"See, that's the spirit. In a few months, you won't even have time to miss me."

Anduin jumped down from the ledge and hugged Kia. Now at fifteen, he was still a few inches shorter than Kia, and still slightly gangly. To Kia's great relief, her growth seemed to have stopped at an even six feet, allowing Anduin the potential to surpass her one day. Anduin felt like less of a child to her now.

"I'll always be thinking about you. You're my best friend. Massive amounts of distance can't change that."

Kia chuckled and returned the hug. "Don't worry. We'll see each other again."

Quinn got down from the bed and bumped Anduin on the hip with her head. Quinn had formed a special bond with the prince over the year. She had told Kia that he had a calming way about him. A presence which gave you no choice by the like and trust him. It was probably this presence which made him a good diplomat, even at such a young age.

Anduin smiled down at the cat and scratched her behind the ear. Sabercats didn't actually purr, but Quinn made a satisfied sound deep in her chest. "I'm going to miss you too, Quinn. You and Ki take care of each other over there."

The clocktower on the cathedral began to chime. Anduin reached over and took Kia's bag, flipping it over his shoulder. "I should probably get you to the docks. The ship to Borean Tundra was supposed to leave almost an hour ago. They're probably getting eager to depart."

Kia nodded. "It was nice of Varian to command them to wait for me, so I could finish up packing and have a chance to say goodbye to you."

The king had grown attached to Kia and had taken the deal they made in the library about what they called each other seriously. It had been a tough adjustment for both of them. As it stood, he still called her Kia, never the shorter Ki, which was favored by both Rell and Anduin. It was still an improvement over 'my lady'.

Once outside the castle, Kia placed a saddle on Quinn as Anduin mounted his own horse. Kia so rarely got to ride Quinn, it felt good to get the opportunity. For her part, Quinn enjoyed it almost as much a Kia. Anduin's white stallion was no longer scared of Quinn, once Kia assured him he was in no danger of being eaten.

They moved slowly through the streets, two mounted guards following behind them a few paces back, as usual. Kia kept thinking about how much she originally didn't want to come here and now was wishing she could stay. Anduin had been a better friend to her than any other person she'd met. He understood her better than anyone else ever could. Not once did he ever treat her differently for being unique and it gave him a chance to act more like a normal person and not a crown prince.

When they finally arrived at the harbor, they saw not only Rell waiting, but also the king. Kia rode up next to Anduin. "I didn't know your father would be here to see me off."

"Neither did I." He replied, sliding off his horse.

"Your Majesty, I'm honored you're here to see me off." Kia said, bowing slightly.

"I wanted to thank you for agreeing to travel to Northrend to help sort out the troubles with the red dragonflight. The dragons are very important to the Kirin Tor."

"I'm just happy I'm in a position where I might be of service. What's the point of having a rare gift if you can't use it to help someone once in awhile."

The King gave her one of his rare genuine smiles and his voice became softer and less formal. "You'll be missed around the castle, Ki."

Kia's eyes widened. "You just called me Ki." She looked over to Anduin, who was standing next to Rell. He looked just as surprised as she did. "I'm not hallucinating, am I?" She placed her hand on her forehead. "It doesn't feel like I have a fever."

Varian laughed, full and deep. The sound was unfamiliar, but pleasing all the same. The King had so few reasons to laugh, but when he did, you couldn't help but smile at the sound.

"I'll miss Stormwind, but I'll be back."

The king nodded. "I know you will. You'll always have a home here. Unfortunately, I'm needed elsewhere. Have a safe trip and take care of yourself." He took her hand and kissed it.

"I'm also late for a previous engagement." Rell said, stepping up. "Take care of yourself, Ki. Remember what you've learned from me and don't take any chances. You'll be on your own out there and Northrend isn't exactly the safest place."

"I'll remember, Rell. You taught me well." She patted the elvish short sword, which now hung at her side. She felt almost as confident with the sword as she did with the bow, which was currently resting magically across her back.

He gave her a quick hug, then followed the king out of the harbor.

Anduin didn't hesitate, just walked right up the Kia and hugged her.

"You be careful, Anduin." She said sadly.

"You too. The next time I see you, you'll probably be riding a dragon."

"One can only hope."

They hugged for a few more moments, then stepped apart. With a final wave, Kia and Quinn boarded the ship destined for Borean Tundra.

Anduin watched as moments later, the ship began to sail away from the dock. With a sigh, he turned and got back on his horse, to make his way back to the castle, his guards keeping an unusually long distance between them. They seemed to realized the prince needed some time alone.

By the time he reached the castle, he felt better. During his ride back, he realized this wasn't an end. This was a beginning, for both of them. She was off to use her talents to help the Alliance and soon, he would be doing the same. There was no reason to be sad. They'd see each other again.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter re-posted. Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Anduin walked alongside his father as they headed to the harbor to see his newest flagship. He thought it was funny his father wanted a second flagship, but then, he was the king. He could have anything he wanted. The guards kept a respectful distance, but were taking their job very seriously, at the moment. They were always more vigilant when the king and prince were together, knowing these two men were the only living members of the Wrynn bloodline.

"I'm still very reluctant to see you go, Anduin. I know I'm terrible at expressing it, but having you around Stormwind makes my days better. I'll miss you." Varian said, not looking over to his son. He kept his eyes pointed to the distance. It was hard from him to let his son leave Stormwind alone. Since the death of his wife so many years ago, Varian's most important treasure was his son and he did everything in his power to keep him safe, even if those actions were a bit smothering. Besides that, he genuinely liked having his son around.

"I know, father, but this is something I must do."

Anduin knew this father wasn't happy about his decision to travel to the Exodar to study the Light with Prophet Velen, but he also knew this was something he needed to do. The king had gotten almost belligerently angry when Anduin brought up the subject the first time, causing minor injury to his son's arm while trying to prevent him from walking out of the room. Varian wasn't an abusive man and Anduin knew his father had a difficult time controlling the more primal, gladiatorial side of his personality when he got angry, but the memory of the incident still hurt, even if the injury was long healed.

Anduin had managed to mend the fences between them somewhat by postponing his trip, but it had been delayed long enough. Their relationship would always be strained, but at least they were on fairly even ground, at the moment. There was no better time like the present.

"I don't understand it, but I will accept it." Varian replied, stopping at the wall just before the stairs leading down into the harbor. From there, they got a good view of the newest airship in the Stormwind armada.

"Impressive, isn't it." Varian asked, looking out at the ship.

Anduin nodded. The ship was almost an exact copy of his father's current flagship, which was as grand a ship at they came. It was larger than the others and more skillfully carved. It was the ship of a king. You could tell just by looking at it.

"I hope you like it, since it's yours." Varian said.

"Mine?' Anduin asked, obvious surprise in his voice.

Varian looked at his son's surprised expression and laughed.

"You're almost a man now, Anduin. If you're going to be going off on your own, representing this city and our people, you need to have the tools of that station. Besides, it'll make me feel better knowing you're flying out in a true battleship."

Anduin was silent for a moment. "I don't know what to say, father."

Varian sighed, his normally hard eyes softening. "Say you'll be careful. Say you'll return soon. Regardless of what else you choose to do with your life, you are, first and foremost, my son and heir to the throne of Stormwind. Always remember that."

Anduin looked out at the airship. His airship. "I have not forgotten, father, nor would I ever. Thank you. And not just for the ship, but also for being reasonable about all of this."

Varian nodded and they returned their gaze to the ship, standing quietly. They had a genuine moment. It wasn't an overly sappy or dramatic moment, but it was a good moment, all the same.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter re-posted. Read and Enjoy.

* * *

The journey to Northrend was longer than Kia would have liked, but the trip itself was actually fairly pleasant and very educational.

The captain of the vessel was a night elf named Vissia and though she did recognize Kia as Malfurion's daughter and treated her with respect, she didn't act any differently towards her than she did any of the other passengers on her ship. In fact, when Kia asked if there was anything she could do to help, the captain jumped at the chance. She gave Kia jobs to do around the ship and did all she could to teach Kia what life was like when you lived most of it on the sea.

When they finally docked at Valiance Keep, Kia felt like her trip had already been worthwhile and she hadn't even made it to Amber Ledge yet. Shortly after arriving, she was met at the inn by a young man dressed in long red and blue robes. His black hair was neatly cut and he had the bluest eyes she had ever seen in a full human. He was very handsome. He smiled at her approach, no doubt he had been waiting for her arrival.

"Kia Stormrage. It's nice to finally meet you. I'm Attros Balon. I'm one of the Magi of the Kirin Tor. The Archmage sent me to escort you to the Amber Ledge." He said, bowing.

"It's nice to meet you as well, Attros. This is Quinn." She said, patting the sabercat on the head. Quinn chirped a few times.

"Ah yes, I was told you'd probably be accompanied by a cat. I've made arrangements to travel to Amber Ledge by land, since I doubt your cat would like flying in one of the gnomish aircraft here that would be big enough to carry her. I don't even like riding in them." he joked.

"I'd very much like to keep my paws on the ground, he's correct." Quinn confirmed.

Kia smiled down at her friend. "Quinn very much likes the idea of walking to our destination, yes. Besides, it's been a long voyage and I think she might want to do some hunting along the way. She didn't find sea travel much to her tastes."

Attros nodded in agreement. "I'd Imagine not. I think the local wildlife should please her. There's plenty of variety for her to choose from." Attros said, leading the way to the stables where two horses were being prepped. "I anticipated your cat's need to hunt and have arranged for a horse for your transportation, so your cat will be free to roam as she likes."

Kia nodded appreciatively. "That will do fine, just let me talk to the horses first. I've found horses aren't always comfortable around Quinn. I'll reassure them they'll be quite safe traveling with her."

Kia walked up to the horses, standing so both could see her, while her bags were placed in their saddlebags. "Hello my friends. I'd like to thank you for taking us on our journey."

The horse on her right, a black stallion look up at her. "You can understand us?"

"Quite well, yes. I wanted to let you know the sabercat who'll be traveling us is a friend. She would never harm you. You have my promise." Kia said softly, running a hand down the necks of each of the horses.

The second horse, a white mare, nodded her head up and down. "I believe you. You smell like a friend."

Kia smiled at the horses. "I am. We'll start our journey to Amber Ledge when you're both ready to depart."

Attros stood watching the exchange between Kia and the horses. She spoke softly and delicately to them and they seemed to be talking back, though it only sounded like neighs and whinnies to him. He took the time to really look at Kia. She was easily identifiable as a mix breed. She had all the features of a night elf, but none of them were as distinct. He found the young woman incredibly attractive and doubted he was the first man to think so.

Kia returned to his side, a sweet smile on her face.

"Are we ready to depart?" He asked.

"Almost. Bayla, the white mare, says her saddle is a little too loose. It's going to rub her belly raw if they don't tighten it down a little."

The stable boy standing nearby didn't even need to be asked, he instantly hurried over, securing the saddle. The horse neighed in reply.

"Now we're ready to depart." Kia confirmed.

Attros smiled at her and Kia couldn't help but think it was a nice smile.

"It must be amazing, being able to speak to them. Can you talk to all animals?" He asked, mounting the stallion as Kia mounted the mare. Quinn trotted up beside them and the horses looked over, but they didn't show any signs for fear. They started out the front gate and headed out toward the cobblestone road. All things considered, the road was fairly smooth.

"As far as I know. I've never tried to talk to a dragon before, though. I'm excited to try. Their a bit of a grey area for my gift. They're not bipedal beings, but their minds are more advanced and some of them can actually take a bipedal form, so I'm not sure how things will work. I'm assuming most of the dragons around here can't take a bipedal form."

Attros nodded. "Correct. Most of the red dragons in this area can't speak our language or take on a bipedal form, so we're just as excited as you are to see if you can communicate with them. The dragon most skilled at communicating with us was killed a few weeks ago during a trip to Coldarra. All we know now is something is really unsettling the flight. If this partnership between the Kirin Tor and the red dragonflight is to continue, we need to know what's bothering them and if we can do anything to help. It really is a delicate situation."

The journey took most of the day. Kia and Attros maintained a conversation through most of the trip, talking about her past and his. Kia found him as easy to talk to as he was on the eyes. As the Amber Ledge began to come into view, he started to tell her all about it and the surrounding area. It turned out the whole of Borean Tundra had a rather violent, but interesting, history. Kia took it all in. This trip was just getting better and better.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter re-posted. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Kia sat quietly in the massive cavern, her legs folded neatly under her. The cave was cool and dimly lit, considering the only light present was the faint glow of the eggs. She was surrounded by several dozen dragon eggs and it was eerily quiet. She had been doing this for almost a full week and she was beginning to lose hope. Not to mention she was running out of things to talk about. Conversations weren't very easy to maintain when they were one sided.

It turned out the problem the red dragonflight was having had nothing to do with their relationship with the Kirin Tor. The flight's problem was with their children, or more accurately, their eggs. The clutch mother, Brezzan, had told Kia of the problem almost as soon as she arrived at the Amber Ledge. Apparently, six months ago the dragon eggs she had been guarding and nurturing had gone silent. Normally, dragons are very chatty when still in their eggs. This clutch had gone silent, refusing the hatch or talk with the adult dragons. Brezzan hoped a new voice might work to break the silence and determine what was wrong. Not a single baby dragon had hatched for months, and though dragons could stay in their eggs for centuries with no adverse effects, it was rare for dragons to refuse to hatch.

Kia stood and began to pace the length of the cave. She had asked the eggs what was wrong, she had talked at length about herself, her family, and the people she had met in her life. She told stories and, at one point, told a few jokes. Nothing she did seemed to help, so she stopped talking at all. She just sat with them, occasionally touching one of the ruby colored eggs. What good was the ability to talk to animals, if the animals refused to talk back.

"I don't know what to say, guys." Kia said. "I want to help you. The other members of this flight want to help you, but if you won't tell us what's wrong, there is nothing we can do. I traveled a long way to help. I wish you'd let me."

"We're scared." Came a voice from the back of the cave.

"Scared in general, or of something specific?" Kia asked, heading in the direction of the voice. This was the first voice she had heard since her arrival. They hadn't even acknowledged her presence.

"We've been left alone." Said the voice.

Kia followed the voice to a large white egg at the back of the cave. It was the only white egg in a sea of ruby colored eggs. She stood next to it and placed a hand on the thick, but still delicate shell. This egg felt warmer than the others she had touched.

"I don't understand. Your clutch mother is still here, tending to you. You're not alone."

"The adults are leaving us. We can't feel them as strongly as before. It's not safe to hatch." The egg replied. Kia could feel the eggs vibrate with the words of the tiny dragon inside.

"So, you can tell the adult dragons in the area are leaving or dying?"

"We don't know why they are gone. They are just gone." The egg replied.

Kia could hear the fear in the voice. So, that was the problem. The unhatched eggs could sense there were fewer adult dragons around their clutch. They didn't want to hatch because they felt safer in their eggs. She had been told many dragons left to fight the Lich King and most hadn't returned, either because they died in battle or were still rallying around Alexstrasza at Wyrmrest Temple.

Kia knelt by the egg, keeping her hand on the side. "I'm going to try to help you. I think I understand what's wrong, but why didn't you tell this to your clutch mother? It's her job to protect you until you hatch."

"She won't understand."

Kia didn't understand what the little dragon egg meant by that, but she didn't press. Dragons were highly intelligent and she doubted even her advanced elvish mind could comprehend all meaning in what was said by dragons. They spoke oddly, as if they were above speaking in a way that made sense to bipeds. Kia stood, so she could speak to all the eggs.

"I'm going to try to help you." She simply said, then left the cave. The cave was at the edge of a cliff, the only way in or out was by flying. Kia had ridden Brezzan to the cave and the dragon had indicated for her to light a torch at the mouth of the cave once Kia was ready to return. Kia lit the torch and waited. It usually took about ten minutes for Brezzan and another red dragon to return to the cave. Brezzan would stay with the clutch, while the second dragon would return Kia to the Amber ledge. This process had become a ritual for her, though this time she was excited to return.

She had made progress. She now knew why the eggs refused to hatch. It would be up to the flight to decide what to do with the information.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter re-posted. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Kia informed the dragonflight and the Kirin Tor about her discovery.

Two weeks later, the skies around the Amber Ledge were filled with red dragons. There had been so many losses during the battles against the Lich King, every egg not hatching was considered a tragedy to the species. Alexstrasza responded almost immediately, sending dozens of adult dragons to help reassure the frightened eggs, including a few who could communicate with the Kirin Tor.

Almost a month later, the first red egg hatched. The eggs began to hatch at a normal rate and everything began to return to normal.

Kia had not returned to the clutch since the initial discovery. She wanted to, but she decided to let the dragons work through their issues without interference. She had done what she had been tasked to do, though she was slightly disappointed to have missed out on talking with the unborn dragons.

Kia was packing her things to return to Stormwind when Attros knocked on the open door. "Ah, Kia, I'm glad I caught you before you left. You've been summoned to the clutch."

"Do you know why?" She asked.

Attros shrugged. "No idea. Brezzan just sent one of her underlings over to collect you."

Kia put away the bag she was packing and patted Quinn the head. They had spent a good amount of time apart since their arrival, since there was no good way for Quinn to travel with Kia to the clutch. "Well then, lead the way. I don't want to keep her waiting."

Kia was guided to the flight master, where one of the newest adult red dragons was waiting. Kia greeted the great beast with a bow, just as she always did before climbing onto a dragon's back. Once situated, they headed off towards the clutch. Kia was happy she was getting a chance to see the eggs one last time, though she was curious why she was being summoned. As far as she knew, her part in solving their problem was over.

As she entered the cavern, she noticed the place was far louder and more active than before. There were a few newly hatched dragons being guided by several young adults. There was quite a bit of chatter going on. It was the exact opposite of what she had seen the last time she was here. This fact made Kia smile and the hatchling dragons were adorable.

Kia found Brezzan at the very back of the cave, lying curled around the lone white egg.

"Ah, Kia. I'm glad you're we caught you before to left. Our lone albino egg has requested for you to be present at his hatching. It seems he's taken a liking to you."

Kia approached the large pearlescent egg, placing her hand gently on its side. The egg vibrated, feeling like a cat's purr.

"You're unique amongst your kind." The egg said. "I, too, will be unique once I hatch. I wish to travel with you. If you agree to share your life with me, I will share my life with you. I will serve as transportation and protection on your journeys. We will be siblings. Family."

"This is a rare honor, Kia. Dragon eggs very rarely hatch with the intention of bonding to a single bipedal soul. And Lantash is a very special dragon. Albino dragons are destined for great things."

Kia was speechless. "I don't know what to say. I'd be honored to have you join me on my travels."

There were no further words from the egg, but the light inside the egg began to slowly increase.

"You might wish to sit, young one. It will take some time for Lantash to hatch. Just remember, you are getting to witness something very few of your kind have the honor to behold. We normally like to keep to ourselves when we hatch, guarded from the younger races."

Kia sat down close enough to the egg to touch it and got comfortable. It seemed her adventure in Northrend just got an extension and she couldn't remember ever being this excited.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter re-posted. Hope you enjoy.

* * *

Varian paced back and forth in the war room of the castle. He was beyond furious, but there was no one in the room to yell at to vent his frustrations.

He had just gotten an emergency transmission from Admiral Tyler, the officer in charge of Anduin's flagship. They had been gone for over six months, while his son studied on the Exodar, but was scheduled to return within the week. At some point in their journey, the ship had run into an unusual mist and had been attacked by a Horde fleet. The message had been choppy and incomplete, but the Admiral had indicated that Anduin has survived the crash, but his present location was unknown. Somehow that knowledge didn't make the king feel any better.

He had hundreds of ships in his armada and the one transporting his son had gone missing. He had immediately sent out his seventh fleet to the ship's last known locations, but it would take too long for a fleet that size to get into a position to find Anduin.

There was a knock at the door and Rell Nightwind walked in. He was by far one of the best agents in SI:7 and with Kia's departure from Stormwind, he was once again with the intelligence team full time.

"My team is ready to depart, Your Majesty."

Varian eyed the night elf critically. "And you know your objective."

"Primary objective is to find and secure the White Pawn. Secondary objective is the determine the status of the unexplored island where the airship crashed and secure a beachhead for the Alliance."

"Excellent. Tell the Admiral she can depart as soon as your team is onboard."

Rell nodded and turned sharply to leave. He paused at the door and turned back to Varian. "We'll find Anduin, Your Majesty. Find him and bring him safely back to you."

Varian took a seat, finally allowing himself a moment of rest. He'd been pacing since getting the news of the crash. He nodded. "Be sure you do."

Rell left and Varian was left with little else to do but wait, with his son somewhere on a strange island, probably alone and possibly in the hands of the Horde. This was exactly why he wanted Anduin to stay in Stormwind, where he'd be safe.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter re-posted. Enjoy.

* * *

Kia sat with her legs stretched out in the middle of one of the secure meadows next to the Amber Ledge. She was reading a book while leaning against Quinn, who was snoozing in the sunshine. Attros lay next to her, his head resting on her lap. He had brought a spell he was working on with him, but he was choosing to snooze in the sun instead of actually working on it, much like Quinn.

Kia had been in Northrend for almost eight months and, much like it had been with Stormwind, she was finding more and more reasons to stay.

Lantash had taken almost a full day to hatch, but when he did, Kia found before her one of the most beautiful creatures she had ever seen. He had been almost pearlescent when he first emerged, wobbling around on his unsteady legs. He was all tail and neck, but the cutest thing she had seen since first meeting Quinn when she was a child.

At first sight, a bond had been formed between the two of them. Lantash could talk to her in her mind and vice versa. It wasn't true reading each other's thoughts, more of a potential link that could be used deliberately. It was apparently part of the bonding process. Kia found she didn't mind him being able to pop into her head whenever he desired. He might have been only a baby, but his thoughts weren't that of a child. He was insightful and very intelligent.

Kia helped raise the tiny dragon. Fortunately, he seemed to get along well with Quinn. Kia had been initially afraid her feline friend might be jealous of the new addition to their little family. At about seven months old, Lantash was out with other dragons, learning the ins and outs of being a dragon. This allowed Kia to focus on other pursuits, which included Attros.

Once it was confirmed Kia would be staying at the Amber Ledge until Lantash was old enough to go out on his own, Attros started finding reasons to be around Kia. At first she thought he was just being friendly, but when he kissed her under the stars they were supposed to be studying, she understood his intentions. This was the first real adult relationship she had ever had and she found herself enjoying his company.

"Ya know, Attros, you might work out that spell faster if your eyes were open." She commented, putting down her book and looking down him. Even with his dazzling blue eyes closed, he was still incredibly handsome.

Kia found both humans and night elves attractive, in their own ways. Night elves were tall and lanky with lean muscle and graceful movements. Humans weren't as tall and were usually built a little more solidly. Both types appealed to her, but she had found that Attros seemed to be a nice middle ground between the two. He was several inches over six feet tall and built lean and muscular, though she hadn't been able to truly make the comparison until she had seen him without his Magi robes.

"I'd probably make more progress with my eyes open, yes, but then I'd be enjoying this beautiful day less." He opened his eyes and looked up at her. "That would be a tragedy."

"It would, indeed." She replied. She leaned down and kissed him gently. When she pulled away he had an even bigger smile on his face.

"The day might be beautiful, but it pales in comparison to you." He said, placing his hand gently on her cheek.

Kia laughed. "Always the romantic."

Attros shrugged, returning both his hands to his stomach and closing his eyes. "What can I say, you bring it out in me."

Kia heard what she could only describe as a groan in her mind.

"Ya know, Ki, you're supposed to be living here to help raise me, not to swap bodily fluids with a human." Lantash said in her head.

"You've been within earshot of the local kids again, haven't you?" Kia replied back. "You're starting to speak like an adolescent boy, not a dragon. There's no reason for you to be crude."

"I'm just kidding with you, you know that. I like Attros well enough, I just think you could do better." It was funny how Lantash's voice in her head 'sounded' exactly as it did when he spoke to her aloud. "The reason I'm butting in on this ever so mushy moment is to inform you about an intruder in your room."

"Intruder?"

"Yes, a very large human male wearing a cloak with the hood up. Should I eat him for you?"

Kia sighed audibly. "No, I'll be there in a few minutes. Hold off on eating him until I find out who it is and what his intentions are. Eating someone isn't always the best solution and probably shouldn't be your goto move, Lantash."

Kia patted Attros on the chest.

"Sorry to ruin the rest of the day, but Lantash is summoning me." Kia said, not telling Attros about a possible uninvited mystery visitor in her room. She didn't want to worry him needlessly. Afterall, whoever this person was, he'd be no match for herself and Quinn, not to mention Lantash would no doubt tear down the whole tower to help Kia if she needed it. She didn't need Attros in the mix trying to be chivalrous.

Attros laughed. "Is it just me, or is your dragon getting more and more pushy. He always seems to need you when we're together."

Kia shrugged, standing up. "Lantash is the jealous type, but I doubt he's interrupting us on purpose. Don't worry, he likes you."

They both collected their things and they headed back. They paused for a few minutes just outside the settlement to kiss goodbye in relative privacy, then Attros headed towards one of the tents on the far side of the settlement as Kia headed towards the tower where the sleeping chambers were located.

"What's the problem, Ki?" Asked Quinn as Kia looked around her. She saw nothing amiss.

"Lantash says a mystery guest is waiting for us in my room. Think you can sniff about and see if you can identify our visitor?"

Quinn ran up ahead of Kia, dashing into the tower. Only a few seconds later, she dashed back out.

"You'll never believe who it is…" Quinn said, filling Kia in on what she smelled.

The two of them headed up to the room, which was reasonably dark, since the sun was currently on the opposite side as the window. Kia walked in and lit a candle, placing it on the table across from her bed. She could see someone sitting in a chair in the far corner of the room.

"You know, it's considered rude to sulk around in the dark corners of a woman's chambers." Kia turned and faced her visitor fully. "Even if you are the king."

Varian pulled the hood off his head and stood. He had a smile on his face.

"How'd you know it was me?"

Kia returned the smile. "My dragon friend told me someone was lurking around my room and Quinn confirmed it was you by your scent."

"So you have a dragon now?"

"I think it's more accurate to say he has me. Being my companion was pretty much his idea." Kia sat in the chair by the small table. Quinn came in and went right up to Varian, looking up at him. Varian reached out and ran his hand over the cat's head. Satisfied, she jumped up onto the bed and got comfortable.

"So, I'm guessing I can't eat him." Lantash said in Kia's mind.

Kia rolled her eyes. "No, you can't eat him."

Varian gave her a confused look. He had seen the eye roll, but hadn't heard the comment.

"Lantash and I can speak to each other through thoughts when we wish to speak over distances. He was just confirming I wasn't going to allow him to eat you. Don't be offended by it. He's only seven months old, even if he's large enough to eat a whole cow. Most of his mental comments revolve around his stomach."

Varian sat back down. "Raising baby dragons now, are we. Sounds like you've been busy."

"You could say that. It's been a constructive and eventful few months. At least I accomplished what I came here to do. The baby dragon part has been an unexpected bonus." Kia paused for a moment, thinking. "As much as I like the visit, I'm sure you didn't come all the way to Northrend to catch up with me. You're a busy man, so something must be wrong."

Varian sighed. "It's Anduin. I'm sure you've heard rumor of the mysterious island discovered a few months back?"

Kia nodded. "Pandaria. I've heard some of the magi talking about it, but I know very little more than that."

"Anduin's airship crash landed on the island after being attacked by a Horde fleet."

Breath escaped Kia for a second. "Is he alright?'

"He's fine, Kia. I should have started with that. He was missing for a short time, but an SI:7 team found him alive and well. He's currently on Pandaria and refuses to return to Stormwind."

Kia chuckled. It sounded like something Anduin would do. He so very rarely got to leave Stormwind, it wasn't a surprise that he didn't want to go back right away. Being on a new world, with new people had to be exciting.

"I'd like you to go the Pandaria and talk to him. See if you can convince him he should come home."

Kia sighed. "You know full well he won't listen to me. Yes, I'm his best friend, but that won't be enough. For the first time he's truly on his own. He won't go back until he's good and ready."

Varian smiled and nodded. "I agree."

Kia gave the King a confused look. "Then what, exactly, do you want me to do?"

"I want you to go to him and ask him to come home. When he refuses, I'd like you to stay with him. Watch his back. You see, he keeps refusing bodyguards. Every soldier I send out to protect him, he sends back. Maybe, he'll see you as more of a friend, than a bodyguard. He's the crown prince of Stormwind. He needs protection. He cannot remain alone in hostile territory."

Kia was quiet, thinking.

"I'm not ordering you to do this as your king. I'm asking you to do this as Anduin's father. I know he can take care of himself. He's a very old 16 and very powerful in his own way, but..."

"But everyone can use someone to watch their back. It's not a measure of maturity or strength, just common sense. He's in a land uncharted by the Alliance. Who knows what he'll run into out there." Kia finished for the king.

"Exactly. I'm glad you understand."

"You do realize I'll be taking Quinn and Lantash with me, as long as I can convince the dragonflight to allow him to leave the clutch. You'll need to make sure the airship taking us to Pandaria is big enough to accommodate a medium sized dragon."

Varian stood. "It will not be a problem. I already have a airship being prepped. The lower hold should be more than big enough. I'll inform the Admiral he'll need to make extra space below, even if it means they take a few less supplies."

Kia stood as well. "Give me a day or two to get everything here wrapped up."

Varian nodded. "I'll leave orders for the magi to open a portal to Stormwind as soon as you're ready." He walked towards Kia and took her hand. It was an odd gesture for him. Varian was not the type to follow physical social conventions. "I truly thank you for this, Ki."

Kia shrugged, placing her free hand over his. "It's Anduin. If he needs me, then I go, it's as simple as that. Hopefully, he'll realized how much he needs me and chooses not to fight me on the matter."

Varian chuckled. "I have a feeling he won't give you any grief." He released her hand, then offered her his arm. "Escort me to my portal."

Kia took his arm and they walked quietly out of the tower.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter re-posted. Hope you continue to enjoy.

* * *

Attros was in no mood to work. He took the spell he had been working to disassemble to the meadow with Kia, just so it looked like he intended to work. Truth be told, when he was with Ki, there was no hope of any work getting done, so he wasn't sure why he even bother to pretend. He was fairly certain she saw through the ruse anyway.

This wasn't the first time their alone time had been interrupted by Lantash. The dragon was being very needy, but Attros was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that he wasn't interrupting them on purpose, just to keep them apart. Kia said the dragon liked him well enough, but you never could tell with dragons. Particularly young dragons. They had an intellect of a much older and wiser being, trapped in the body of a child.

Attros put away his notes and scroll, then headed towards the large open field where members of the dragonflight usually congregated. There was still a few good hours of daylight left and with any luck, he'd be able to pull her away from Lantash long enough for them to take a walk. Kia was a very special woman and he felt lucky she seemed to like him just as much and he liked her. He had been drawn to her from the first moment they met. She was beautiful, of course, but that wasn't the only thing that attracted him.

Attros only made it halfway to his destination. He passed by the residence tower just in time to see Kia emerge on the arm of another man. Attros almost got angry until he recognized the man. Why was the King of Stormwind in Northrend. The two talked quietly as they headed to the tower of magic. Kia looked very comfortable walking with him. True, Attros had never met the king, but he always seemed the grim and gruff type.

Attros knew Kia had lived in Stormwind of a year, but he hadn't realized she knew King Wrynn personally, though he shouldn't have been surprised. Kia was the daughter Malfurion Stormrage. It would make sense for her to be looked after by the human royals while in their city.

He stopped outside the tower of magic and waited. Ten minutes later, Kia emerged alone. She was so deep in thought, she didn't even see the young man waiting by the door for her.

"Was that the king?" He asked.

Kia startled, whirling around and reaching for her sword, which she kept at her side everywhere she went. She stopped the motion as soon as she realized it was Attros speaking.

"Attros! Don't do that!"

"Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He replied, only approaching her when her hand stopped moving towards her weapon. He had seen enough of her skills with the weapon to know he didn't want to be on the sharp end of it.

Kia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's alright." She turned to head back towards the residence tower without another word and Attros followed obediently.

"Are you okay, Ki? You seem rattled."

"I'm just thinking of everything I need to do before I leave." Kia replied. She didn't want to hurt Attros. He was a good man.

"Leave?" he asked, stopping her movement by getting in front of her.

Kia signed and looked up into his gorgeous eyes.

"I've been asked to go on a mission by the king. I plan to portal to Stormwind tomorrow with Quinn and hopefully Lantash. I'm sorry Attros." Kia was sorry. She genuinely liked Attros. She could easily see herself falling in love with him. He was good looking, intelligent, romantic and just a overall nice guy. Even Quinn like him.

"What does this mean for us?" He asked, though he had a feeling he already knew the answer.

Kia looked down at the ground. This was the first time she had ever broken up with someone. She didn't like the feeling. She finally sighed and look up into his eyes, placing a gentle hand on his cheek. "It would be unfair to both of us to try and keep up a relationship when we don't know for sure how long it'll be before we see each other again." She took his hands. "Believe me, I don't want to leave you. You've been one of the best parts of coming to Northrend. But this is important."

Attros nodded. He wanted to argue, but what could he say? If she had been personally commanded by the Varian Wrynn to go on a mission, then she really had little choice.

Attros pulled her into a hug and she accepted it wholeheartedly.

"I'll miss you." Kia said quietly.

"I'll miss you too." He pulled away just enough so he could look at her. "But think of it this way, if what we have is meant to be, than sometime down the line, we'll see eachother again."

"I like your optimism." Kia replied, hugging him again.

Attros didn't tell Kia that it wasn't so much optimism as a means of trying to cope with her departure. He hoped he would someday believe his own words.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter re-posted. Hope you enjoy.

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The sun was shining brightly as Kia stepped through the portal and into Stormwind. Kia greeted the two magi who were holding the portal open with a nod. This portal was bigger than usual and required more power to maintain, in order to accommodate Lantash's size. He was still fairly small, by dragon standards, though he still had at least a year, maybe even two, of growth before he reached full size. Being a albino, he was destined to be just a tad bigger than a normal male red dragon according to Brezzan.

The portal had to be generated outside in a field just outside the city walls. Kia was happy to see Sir Rodrick waiting to greet her.

"Welcome home, my lady." He said warmly, taking Kia's hand and kissing it gently.

Kia no longer rolled her eyes at the gesture. This behavior around noble women was just a matter of how Rodrick was raise, so she accepted his greeting graciously.

"It's nice to see you again, Rodrick. How have you been?" She asked.

Rodrick sighed deeply. "I'd be better if our prince would stop being so stubborn. I'm happy you agreed to speak with him. Even if he doesn't come home, it'll be nice to know you'll be by his side. The king has been almost unbearable to be around during all of this. His son is the only thing around that can worry him so badly."

Quinn came through the portal and joined Kia and Rodrick. "Lantash is ready to come through." She growled.

"We might want to take a few steps back. Lantash will be coming through. He'd still not overly aware of his size. I'd hate of any of us to get trampled." Kia said.

With a nodded, Rodrick followed Kia to the side of the field. Moments later, Lantash appeared. It was a sunny day, so this white scales and faintly ruby colored spikes sparkled like gemstones. His red eyes glowed slightly as he surveyed the surroundings, catching sight of Kia. He did the dragon equivalent of a laugh, smoke rising out of his great maw.

"My first portal trip. That was exciting!" He said out loud, his words coming out as a great roar.

Kia laughed with him. "Sir Rodrick, this is Lantash of the red dragonflight. Lantash, this is my good friend, Rodrick."

Lantash lower his head so he was looking at Rodrick on the human's level.

"Nice to me you. Any friend of Kia's is a friend of mine." He said. To Rodrick it was just a series of growls. For his part, the older man didn't seem scared or intimidated by the dragon at all. Kia was actually very impressed. It was hard to stand eye to eye with a dragon and not feel at least some sense of fear being around something so large.

"He greets you as a friend."

Rodrick released a breath he had been holding. "I'm glad to hear that. I never want to be on the bad side of a dragon."

"You're a wise man." Kia replied, laughing. "How are the preparations for my departure coming along?"

"Very well. I think you'll be on your way soon. Probably today. The king wanted me to bring you to him as soon as you arrived. He's waiting in the throne room."

"Then lead the way." Kia said, turning to Lantash. "Why don't you stay here. You won't fit on the streets and I don't want to cause a panic with your presence."

Lantash nodded, already stretching out on the soft grass.

Kia and Rodrick headed towards the castle at a leisurely pace, Quinn following along behind. The streets looked exactly the same. It was as if nothing have changed over the year she was gone. Rodrick remain silent as they walked. Kia could tell he was worried. She only hoped it was the situation with Anduin causing his condition and not something else in the elder man's life. She didn't press the issue, remaining silent herself.

They entered the throne room to find Varian pacing back and forth. He stopped when he saw them enter, smiling one of his genuine smiles.

"Ah, Kia. You've arrived. Your timing is impeccable. The airship is fueled and ready to depart, as soon as you're onboard." He approached Kia, taking her hands. "I wanted to thank you again for doing what I've asked."

Kia shrugged. "It's Anduin. He could be camped out on the edge of an erupting volcano and I'd still go. Don't worry. I'll keep an eye on him."

An admiral walked in from the side entrance and Varian released Kia's hands to turn to him. Kia wasn't familiar with the man, but that wasn't surprising. She hadn't taken interest in military affairs during her time in Stormwind.

"We're ready to depart, your Majesty." The admiral said with a bow. He looked at Kia, sizing her up. "I'm assuming this is the passenger I've been waiting on?"

"That is correct, Admiral Bowman. I'm assuming you've made accommodations in her quarters for her cat and in the cargo hold for her dragon?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty, though my chief engineer would like to see the dragon for himself before we takeoff, just to make sure we have the dimensions right. We don't want to take any chances with something that size while we're over open water without land in sight."

"Lantash is currently sunning himself next to the pumpkin patch, if your engineer wants to take a look. He won't be hard to spot." Kia replied. "Once everything's set and we take off, I'll help get him into the ship."

Varian looked pleased. "Then I'll leave the final preparations in your hands, Admiral. Once everything is ready, you have my permission to begin your journey."

The admiral bowed again and departed.

Varian turned once again to Kia. "Take care, Kia." He handed her a letter stamped with the royal seal. "Give this to Anduin, when you find him."

Kia took it, placing it securely in one of the bags on Quinn's saddle. "I will, Your Majesty."

With a final bow, Kia headed out to rejoin Lantash. Once the engineer was satisfied, she'd help get the the giant reptile into the ship and they could be on their way. She was excited for her next adventure to begin, hoping Anduin could keep himself out of harm's way until she arrived.

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To Be Continued...


	15. Chapter 15

Final re-post. All new after this chapter. Enjoy and thanks for being patient with me.

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Anduin was having a good time on Pandaria, all things considered. True, the work was challenging and he wasn't entirely safe all the time, but he was making progress with the mission to help make things right with the inhabitants of Pandaria, as well as with Pandaria itself. The arrival of the Alliance and the Horde had set events in motion which were hurting the continent. Anduin vowed to stay and help where he could and use his diplomatic skills to make peace between the Pandarens and the Alliance.

His father kept sending soldiers out to find him. At first, they were sent to bring Anduin back home to Stormwind. Anduin refused, which put the soldiers in a tough position between him and his father, but Anduin didn't back down. What he was doing was too important to just pack up and go home.

Once Varian got the point his son would not return home, he sent out soldiers to protect him. Anduin, being as stubborn as his father, refused these soldiers too. Anduin felt he had something to prove to his father and now was as good a time as any to do it. He could do this on this own. Not to mention, Anduin needed stealth in his work and bodyguards were anything but stealthy.

Anduin sat just inside his tent, compiling data about his last trip to observe the Sha. It was fascinating how emotions themselves could manifest in such a way. He was so deep in thought, he almost missed the sound of horses approaching. With a scowl, he put away his work and left his tent. Would his father not give up? He was met at the edge of his camp by Captain Leda. He had been there several times before.

"Captain, I thought I told you I didn't need your protection." The prince said, sounding agitated. "I don't need your soldiers."

"You might not need soldiers, but what about a friend?" Came a familiar voice from further down the line of soldiers. Moments later, Kia walked around the captain, riding Quinn. She was dressed in full ranger garb, complete with her bow and her custom made elvish short sword. It had been over a year since he'd seen her.

"Ki! What are you doing here?" Anduin asked, rushing over to hug his friend, once she jumped down off of Quinn.

Kia hugged him back, noticing she was able to look him in the eyes without looking down slightly. "You've grown! You're exactly my height now."

Anduin shrugged. "I'm a growing boy and you're old."

Kia slapped him on the arm playfully. "It's rude to call a woman old, ya know?"

"My father sent you, didn't he?" Anduin asked, frustrated, his smile at seeing his friend faded.

Kia nodded. "Indeed he did."

Anduin turned, crossing his arms over his chest. "I'm not returning to Stormwind. Even for you."

"I didn't think you would. I told your father you won't listen to me." Kia replied casually.

Wrinkles formed between Anduin's eyes as he turned back around and frowned at this friend. "Then why are you here?" He held up his hands. "Not that I'm upset to see you, of course."

Kia walked further into the camp, sitting on a log next to the firepit. "Your father first asked if I would try to convince you to come home. I told him you won't listen, but that I'd try anyway. I then agreed to stay here with you, once you refused my heartfelt attempt to get you back to Stormwind." She looked over at the captain. " If anyone asks, I made a heartfelt attempt to convince the prince to return to Stormwind."

Anduin didn't know what to say. He didn't need protection, but he couldn't just send his best friend away, either. He should've known better than to underestimate this father's persistence and ingenuity. He was silent for several minutes. He wanted to be mad, but he was too happy to see Kia. Damned if his father was going to win this round.

"You can stay, but only as a friend. You're not my bodyguard."

"Nope, not a bodyguard. That's what I have Quinn and Lantash for." Kia nodded in Quinn's direction.

"Lantash?" Anduin asked.

"Lantash is my new dragon friend. He's around here somewhere, exploring. He's only just over 7 months old and has a short attention span. This is his first time away from his dragonflight. He's very excited." Kia explained.

Anduin beamed. He had never actually been close to a dragon before. Well, not one that wasn't looking to kill him, anyway. Few people had.

"Anyway…" Kia stood and walk up to Captain Leda. "It's agreed. I'm staying, so you can depart. Go back to the ship or on whatever mission you've been assigned after dropping me off."

Honestly, Kia didn't see the need to be escorted to Anduin's camp. All they really needed to do was point her in the right direction and she could have found it on her own, but the admiral insisted she be accompanied by the captain and his men.

"But my lady…" The captain began to object.

"Don't 'my lady' me. The agreement was for you and your men to leave, once Anduin agreed to let me stay. Now shoo." She said, waving her hand in a dismissive fashion, as if to shoo them away.

Reluctantly, the captain nodded his head in acknowledgement and ordered his men away. Anduin and Kia waited until they were no longer visible before speaking.

"The captain seemed shocked you wanted him to leave." Anduin commented.

Kia shrugged. "I have no idea why. I thought the arrangement was totally clear when we set sail from Stormwind. Your father and I were on the same page, but he might have given his men additional orders."

"I won't be surprised." Anduin agreed.

"I'm in the water just north of you. You should bring the prince over so I can size him up." Lantash said in Kia's mind.

"You are not allowed to eat him." Kia replied in her mind. "Is there a river just north of here?" Kia asked Anduin. He hadn't seemed to notice her mental pause while she talked with Lantash.

"Yes. I cross it everyday to get to the site I've been monitoring. Why?"

"Apparently, Lantash is splashing around in it and has summoned us."

Anduin looked at her, confused. "Summoned us?"

"We have a bond. He can talk to me in my mind, as well as out loud. He tends to butt in on my mind whenever it suits him. I've gotten used to it."

"Well, in that case, let's not keep him waiting."

Anduin led the way down a fairly well used path. Quinn ran up ahead and walked next to the prince. It made Kia smile.

"This jungle is actually quite nice. It's quiet and very beautiful. Not a bad place to set up a camp." Kia said.

"As long as you don't mind the occasional predator knocking at your door." Quinn replied. "I smell all types of wildlife."

"What'd she say?' Anduin asked.

"She agrees with my assessment, as long as you're okay with predators. She's smelling all kinds of things living in this jungle."

"Most of them shy away from my campfire, but a flash of light works almost as well to scare them off. I haven't had too much trouble with the local wildlife so far."

They walked in silence for a few moments. "Was your mission in Northrend a success?" Anduin finally asked.

"It was. The poor red dragonflight eggs were scared to hatch, what with a good portion of the adult dragons going out to fight the Lich King. Once they finally starting talking to me, we were able to fix the problem and red dragons starting hatching again."

Anduin paused long enough for Kia to catch up, so they were walking side by side.

"So Lantash is a red dragon?"

"Albino, actually. His spikes are a bit red, but he's mostly white. I think his uniqueness was why he asked to follow me on my journeys. He and I have that in common."

Anduin held a branch out of the way, so Kia could walk under it. "You said he was only seven months old. Is he big enough to ride?"

Kia chuckled, thinking of the last time she had attempted to ride Lantash. She had almost fallen off and he had almost crashed into a mountain. The older dragons got a good laugh out of the attempt. "Yes, but he's still learning how to fly by himself. I've only ridden him twice so far. I've found it's hard to keep balance on a dragon who's not overly good at keeping balance. We're both learning the ins and outs of it. It'll be easier, once he reaches full size. He's still has a few years of growth ahead of him."

"So, you didn't leave any work in Northrend to come here." Anduin sounded worried. He obviously didn't like the idea that Kia might have been pulled from something important to play bodyguard.

"Nope. I'm all yours for as long as you're out here." She said happily, though Attros's face came to mind. She hadn't left any work behind, but other things, yes. Anduin didn't need to know that. If Anduin were female, she might feel compelled to share, but this kind of thing wasn't openly shared between friends of opposite gender. No point dwelling on it, though. Kia was happy to be here with Anduin.

They made it to the river and had no trouble finding Lantash. The dragon was taller than the depth of the river, so you could see half of him sticking out of the water. He looked to be rolling around in the deepest part of the river.

"Lantash! What are you doing?' Kia yelled out to the dragon.

"I've immersing myself in this new land!" He growled back, continuing to roll.

"It kinda looks like you're rolling around in the mud to me. You said you wanted to meet the prince, so get over here and meet him. Try not to soak us in the process, please."

Lantash stood, dipping into the deepest part of the water a few times to wash off the mud, then came over to where they were standing. The water was making his scales sparkle in the sunlight. He shook once before coming to within a foot of Anduin. He lowered his long neck, so he was looking at him face to face.

"Hmmm, not as old as the other one, but he's not as scrawny. He's not useless, is he?" Lantash growled.

"Lantash, that's rude." Kia scolded.

"It's okay if he's useless. He's a prince. Their allowed." Lantash clarified.

"What'd he say?" Anduin asked.

"I'm afraid Lantash has been around too many of the magi of the Kirin Tor. He's wondering if you're more powerful than you look, though he used less polite wording. Don't mind the comment, dragons have an interesting way of looking at bipedal beings and are usually very honest."

Anduin chuckled at the comment. "As a matter of fact, I'm a priest. I'm not a mage, but I do have the power of the Light."

Lantash seemed to consider Anduin's word, small puffs of smoke escaping from his jaws. Kia knew he was doing it to try and intimidate the prince. "Well, it that case, I'm happy to meet him. Please tell him I'll refrain from eating him until I've witnessed this power myself." Lantash turned and headed back out into the river.

Ki rolled her eyes. Anduin looked over to her expectantly.

"He says he's happy to meet you and will refrain from eating you." She replied.

"I'm happy to meet you too." Anduin said with a bow. "It's a honor to meet such a handsome and powerful dragon."

Lantash turn is head around to look at the prince, laughed in his own way. "On second thought, I like him. You have my permission to mate with him, if you wish."

Kia choked, having been thrown off by the dragon's comment. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at her reptilian friend. "That was inappropriate, Lantash."

The dragon only continued to chuckle as he strolled down the river. "I'm just saying, since the mage isn't around anymore. I think this human would be a suitable replacement. I'll be back in an hour or two."

Kia merely sighed and turned to Anduin, who was waiting for her to translate for the dragon. She could feel herself blushing slightly, though it wasn't overly noticeable on her blue/green skin.

"Trust me, you're much happier not knowing what he just said. But, he does like you. I'm hoping he'll learn to speak a little less like a juvenile once he grows up, though I doubt I'll be that lucky."

Anduin laughed, looking slightly disappointed, but he let the subject drop. "He is a fine looking dragon. It'll be interesting having him around."

Kia nodded. "That's one way of putting it. Sometimes, he's wise beyond his years. Other times it's like talking to a five year old."

They headed back to the campsite in relative silence. Anduin was happy he agreed to to let Ki stay. It would be nice to have friends around.

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To Be Continued...


	16. Chapter 16

Initial post of this chapter. Hope everyone is enjoying my story and thanks to everyone reading and special thanks to those who are dropping me a line. I love hearing what you think. It helps me continue. Yay.

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Anduin sat in his usual hiding spot near the temple the Sha seemed to favor. He'd been watching them grow in number and strength for the last month, doing so with much more ease since Kia arrived. He hated to admit it, but it was nice having someone watching his back while he worked. He trusted Kia with his life and knew he didn't have to worry about his safety nearly as much as he did while he was alone.

It was nice having Kia, Quinn and Lantash around. He slipped into a comfortable normal with Kia and Quinn, and the addition of Lantash made things interesting. The dragon was extremely candid with his actions and communication, though Anduin had a feeling Kia wasn't translating everything the massive reptile said word for word.

"Hmm." Anduin said to himself as he made an observation he hadn't seen previously.

"What is it?' Kia asked, turning around to face him. She had gotten to sitting away from the temple, so as to watch their backs. Quinn lay a few feet away, doing the same. Lantash was off doing whatever it was dragons do, since he found guard duty boring.

"It looks like the people around the temple aren't there by choice. They're being corrupted by the Sha. I had originally thought they were all willing Sha worshipers or something of that nature, but now I don't think so."

"If that's true, is there any way to un-corrupt them?" Kia asked.

Anduin thought for a second, wrapping his head around what he had learned about the Sha. "I think the Light can push the Sha out of a person, if it works the same as it did with the corrupted frog I purified before you arrived. I didn't know any of the beings around the temple were in fact being corrupted into compliance, but I just saw it happen. If I can free them from this plague, I need to try."

"Agreed, but we need a plan first. Running in there blind will only get us killed." Kia replied, standing.

Anduin nodded, standing as well. They headed back towards the camp, both of them silent. Once they reached the camp, Anduin sat on the log seat next to the firepit, sending a small ball of magic into the pit to start a fire. It wasn't a cold day, but Anduin just felt silly sitting around a firepit with no fire. Kia sat across from him.

"We need to think of a way to slip in there and free as many of the corrupted pandarens as possible, without being detected. I'd like to prevent having to fight any of the Sha toe to toe." Anduin said. "Or hurt anyone who's being forced to fight against their will."

"I agree, mainly because we have no idea if any of my weapons will even hurt the Sha. We know your Light magic will, but you can't do this alone. If only there were a way to confirm weapon impact before going in, not to mention, there will most likely be something even bigger inside the temple who might get mad if we start releasing its servants. That temple is supposed to house one of their gods, right?" Kia asked, leaning back against Lantash, who had settled in behind Kia.

"That was the temple of Chi-Ji, before its corruption." came a voice from the side of them.

Both Anduin and Kia stood, spinning around to face the voice. Kia had her sword out and separated, taking a defensive posture. Quinn stood as well, growling, but Lantash was the first to make a move towards the owner of the voice.

"I'll eat him for you." Lantash said as he advanced.

Kia took both halves of her sword in one hand and placed a other hand on the dragon's side as he moved. "Hold on. Let's see who it is first."

A male pandaren stepped out of the trees. He was dressed in clothing which concealed his face and he moved without the slightest of sounds. He was also standing downwind to them, so neither Quinn or Lantash had smelled him coming.

"I am Nagoni of the Shado-pan." He stopped a few steps from the campfire, seemingly not afraid of Lantash in the least. He turned to Anduin. "You are the young foreign prince who has been studying the Sha."

Anduin nodded. "I am."

"Your people have brought this curse upon us! You're war is causing the Sha to manifest." Nagoni accused.

Quinn growled low in her chest. She didn't like anyone speaking to Anduin in such a way. Kia was also annoyed by his tone of voice.

"I know." Anduin agreed. "That is why I'm here. To help fix the damage we've done. To find peace with your people and this land. We didn't come here looking to cause problems, but since our presence here caused the Sha, I'll do whatever I can to help correct what was done."

Kia smiled slightly in the background and patted Quinn on the neck.

"He really is a good diplomat." Quinn chirped.

Kia nodded in reply.

"This fuzzy bear looking thing rode in on a dragon. I can smell him." Lantash said in Kia's head. "It's probably a bad idea for me to eat him just yet."

Kia rolled her eyes. Lantash was nothing if not single minded.

The pandaren seemed to consider Anduin's words, like he wanted to argue, but couldn't since Anduin was agreeing with his accusations. After about a minute or so, he huffed. "You will assist in freeing Chi-Ji from the temple, where he is imprisoned by the Sha."

"We'll do whatever must be done." Anduin replied.

It was only then that Nagoni seemed to notice Kia, Quinn and Lantash. He seemed to eye Lantash more than the others. "Your dragon is different than those found on Pandaria."

"He's from a place called Northrend and technically Lantash isn't mine. He chose to accompany me. I do not own him. None of my friends follow me because I force them to." Kia said, knowing Lantash didn't like to be addressed as if he were a pet, rather than a truly independent being. Quinn didn't like it much either, but she never let it bother her. Lantash, on the other hand, hadn't learned yet how to let comments such as those roll off his back.

Nagoni bowed. "Forgive me, mighty serpent, I did not wish to imply that you are merely a servant. Perhaps, after we have freed Chi-Ji, you can help me understand the ways of your kind."

Lantash grumbled. "I like him. Tell him I'd be honored to speak with him."

Kia smiled. "Lantash says he'd be honored to speak with you."

The pandaren's eyes widened. "You understand him? Do you understand the tiger's speech as well?"

Kia nodded. "I can understand all animals. Lantash and I also have a mental bond."

"Fascinating." He turned back to Anduin. "Yes, once Chi-Ji in free, we will all sit and talk." He approached the fire and sat. Anduin and Kia followed suit.

"To answer your question about traditional weapons harming a Sha, the answer is yes. If the weapon is blessed, it will work even better. The Sha is a manifestation of evil. Anything touched by good will hurt a Sha, even more so if the wielder truly believes it can."

"That makes sense." Kia said. "Faith in good and evil shouldn't be a problem."

"And I can bless your weapons before we go in." Anduin said.

"A frontal assault won't work. If the Shado-pan are used as a distraction, you two could enter the temple and face the Sha. Once he's free, Chi-Ji will help defeat the remaining entities outside."

Kia chuckled. "I guess it's time to see if any of the tactics I learned from Rell actually stuck. Quinn can go in with us."

"I'll help with the distraction." Lantash offered. "I'm too big to be going into the temple anyway. But if you get in a fix, just say the word, I'll rip down a wall to get to you."

Kia translated to Nagoni. They continued to talk for another hour, then agreed to meet up in the morning for the assault.

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To Be Continued...


	17. Chapter 17

Here another chapter for you. Kinda short, but hey, they can't all be long. Hope you're enjoying.

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Anduin allowed the healing power of the Light to flow through him as he healed Kia's right arm and shoulder.

The assault on the temple had gone almost perfectly. The powerful Sha imprisoning Chi-Ji was extremely strong, but they had managed to defeat it, with Kia sustaining only minor injuries. Now they were back at the campsite, with a dozen Shado-pan. Anduin was healing the injured. There had been no deaths and everyone was in a celebratory mood.

"You didn't need to take the hit for me, Ki." Anduin said as he healed Kia. Her injury had impacted him more than he wanted to admit. He didn't like seeing Kia hurt.

"Maybe, but if I get hurt, you can heal me. If you get hurt, you might not be in any condition to heal yourself. It was a logical move." Kia replied, wincing once as the damage to her shoulder began to mend. The Sha had struck out with one of its tendrils and Kia had been hit pushing Anduin out of the way, since his shield of Light had been down at the time and he was left unprotected.

"I understand it was a logical move, but I still don't like you getting hurt to protect me."

Kia chuckled. "Trust me, I don't like getting hurt either, but you're an amazing healer. I'm in good hands."

Anduin blushed slightly at the comment. He didn't get complimented on this healing abilities very often. Being secluded in the castle didn't afford him many opportunities to use his powers.

He looked up and watched as Lantash chatted with three of the Shado-pan's dragons. Unlike Lantash, who was built with a solid body, long limbs, neck and tail, the Pandaren dragons were long and serpent like, with short legs and long, thin bodies. The differences were striking.

"They don't seem to have any difficulty communicating." He commented, finishing up healing Kia, then taking a seat next to her.

Kia flexed her arm and shoulder experimentally, relieved the damage had been healed and it no longer hurt to move. "He says they don't speak exactly the same language, but it's close enough to understand each other. They're much calmer and more mature than Lantash, maybe he'll learn something."

Nagoni approached them, in a much more jovial mood than the previous day.

"You did well, outsiders. Not only did you help save several dozen Pandarens, but you also freed Chi-Ji from his prison. He has left to rejoin the other August Celestials, but he extended his thanks one more time. You have done a great thing for our people. You still have much to account for, but today you have proven you will be a valuable ally against the Sha." He bowed to them, then turned and returned to his people.

Kia nudged Anduin with her elbow. "You're as good a diplomat as you are a healer. If only your father were here to see it. He'd be proud."

"Would he?" Anduin replied.

Kia turned to fully face the prince and took his hands in hers. "Of course he would. You did battle with a powerful enemy and won, freed a perspective ally's imprisoned god and brought the Alliance one step closer to peace with the Pandarens. You didn't run into battle with a sword lifted over your head, but you fought the way that works for you and he would be proud of your accomplishment."

Anduin smiled. "You always know how to cheer me up."

Kia shrugged. "It's a gift."

They both laughed, then sat quietly by the roaring fire. Neither seemed to realized they were still holding hands.

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To Be Continued...


	18. Chapter 18

It took me a bit to find time to update. Hope you're enjoying the story. Many thanks to all who are reading.

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The Vale of Eternal Blossoms was the most beautiful place Anduin has ever seen. The Alliance had set up in the Shrine of Seven Stars, which served as a stronghold for trade with the Pandarens, as well as a sanctuary for portals back to the other Alliance capital cities. Anyone from the Alliance was allowed to come here, as long as they came in peace and agreed to do no harm to the land.

Upon their arrival, the Pandarens gave both Kia and Anduin grand rooms in the far reaches of the shrine, tokens of thank you to all they had both done for the Pandaren people. The rooms had long balconies which opened up into a vast garden. Lantash had claimed the garden as his resting spot and he seemed to not mind being visited by the Pandaren children who often came to see the strange foreign dragon. In fact, he seemed to thrive on the attention.

Anduin left his room, ready to meet up with Kia for dinner. They had been invited to a formal dinner with several of their hosts that evening. This was the first time since he crashed on Pandaria that Anduin had to dress formally. He didn't mind it, really, but he had gotten used to the more casual attire he wore while in the jungles.

The doors to Kia's room were open when he arrived. He knocked, but got no reply, so he walked in. The room was empty, but he noticed movement on the balcony. Anduin could hear the laughter of children, who were no doubt down in the garden with Lantash. The mighty dragon was surprisingly gentle with the young cubs, allowing them to climb on him and play around him.

There on the balcony stood Kia looking out over the garden. She wore a green and blue dress, which slightly shifted in the wind. Her arms were bare, showing more of her light green/blue skin than normal. Her hair was loose around her shoulder, rather than in her traditional ponytail on the back of her head.

Anduin just stood and stared until Kia turned around and smiled at the prince. For the first time, Anduin saw what his best friend really was: a beautiful woman. It was an easy fact to forget, hidden under her rough ranger exterior.

"What do you think?" She asked, twirling once. "One of the Pandaren gave it to me as a welcome gift. I don't normally like dresses, but it seemed rude to refuse the gift and even ruder not to wear it."

Anduin approached and kissed her hand, shaking off his initial shock at Kia's appearance. "How very diplomatic of you. You look absolutely stunning."

Kia blushed, but didn't argue about the formal gesture.

"Well thank you Your Highness. You look very dashing yourself, though I've seen you in formal wear much more often than you've been me in a dress."

They both laughed at their actions. Neither of them were ever formal with each other. It was a bit of an unspoken rule between them.

"Lantash seems to be enjoying himself." Anduin commented, look out over the balcony.

"He is. I just warned him to be gentle and to be aware of himself, so he doesn't crush any of the cubs by accident. I like he loves the attention."

They watched the dragon for a few more moment, then Anduin turned and offered Kia his arm. "Shall we?"

Kia nodded and took his arm. "We shall."

The couple walked out of the room, feeling more like adults and less like kids out on an adventure.

* * *

To Be continued...


	19. Chapter 19

Hello all you wonderful readers. It's been a while since I've posted a new chapter, I know. I've finally kinda got a direction for the story and this chapter was an addition I wrote a few weeks ago. I needed this scene to happen, to help a future chapter. Hope you enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Varian, Jaina, and Kia sat silently in the room adjacent to the one which contained the injured Anduin. He was being tended to by Prophet Velen and a Pandaren healer. He had been barely alive when he was brought in by Kia.

The king kept alternating between sitting and pacing. He was angry. Or more accurately, he wanted to be angry, but he was too worried and neither of the women in the room with him were deserving of his anger, so he suppressed it the best he could. He had never been accused of being a patient man, but he was doing his best.

Varian stood once again, paced back and forth a few times, then took a seat next to Kia, who was white as a ghost and almost trembling.

"This wasn't your fault, Kia." Varian said quietly, placing a hand over hers, which were resting in her lap. The gesture startled her and he could feel she was indeed trembling.

"I was supposed to be watching his back for you." She said softly, not looking at Varian. "I failed."

"He left without telling you. I asked you to watch his back, not be his babysitter. He chose to leave you behind. His injuries are not your fault. None of this was your fault."

Varian spoke the words, but he was fairly confident Kia wasn't believing them. She had apologized to Varian when she arrived with the injured prince. She had hurried to Anduin's location when the call for help came, but by then, there was nothing to do but rush Anduin to Lion's Landing, hoping he survived the trip. Varian was more angry at Anduin for going off to confront Garrosh Hellscream alone.

"I should have been with him." Kia said weakly.

Before Varian could reply, Velen came out, his expression unreadable. Varian stood.

"Anduin will survive."

"Thank the Light." Jaina said quietly.

"I'm afraid the pain from his injuries will probably never fully go away and will most likely get worse as he gets older, but it shouldn't hinder him." Velen look at Varian. "You can go in and sit with him, if you'd like."

Varian nodded, heading into the room, with Velen behind him. Jiana sat next to Kia. "See, he's going to be fine."

"With permanent pain." Kia replied.

"Anduin will get through this just like he's gotten through all his hard times. And I'm betting he'll have no regrets. He obviously left you behind to protect you. Wrynn men are stubborn and have a tendency of doing what they want, even if there are less dangerous options. It's in their blood, I think. It's one of the few character traits Varian and Anduin have in common."

Kia only nodded.

"But, if I were you, I'd give him hell for leaving you behind. Maybe next time, he'll take some backup with him."

Kia actually laughed at Jaina's comment and it seemed to lift both their spirits.

* * *

Several hours later, Kia sat next to Anduin, watching him sleep peacefully. Varian had left to get some rest, since he'd already been up for two days going over battle plans before Anduin was injured and Jaina had some business to attend to. Kia told them she'd stay up with Anduin, since she was used to staying up late and she doubted she'd be able to sleep, anyway, even with the assurance that Anduin would be alright.

She was lost in her own thoughts until a small voice pulled her out of her own head.

"Hey." Anduin said weakly, almost managing a smile.

"Well, there you are. How do you feel?" Kia asked, taking his hand and squeezing it gently.

"I'm fine." He said.

Kia scoffed. "You're a terrible liar. Stick to the truth, it's what you're good at. You scared the hell out of me. It was stupid to go after Garrosh alone, you know that, right?"

"It's something I needed to do alone."

Kia swore under her breath in elvish. "No, it wasn't!" Kia said quietly, but forcefully. A few tears slipped down her cheeks. "You almost died! Do you have any idea how important you are!" How important you are to me, she added in her head. She wasn't sure where the thought came from, but she decided to keep it to herself.

Anduin squeezed Kia's hand. He'd never seen her cry before. She wasn't an emotional person and was certainly not a crier. He squeezed her hand as hard as he could in his weakened state. "I'm sorry Ki."

Kia took a few calming breaths and composed herself, turning her head away as she wiped away her tears with her free hand. "Just never do anything like that again, do you hear me? What's the use of having someone around to watch your back, if you don't let them?"

"I'll do my best." He replied, sounding incredibly tired.

They sat quietly, holding hands until they both fell asleep, Kia resting her head next to their joined hands. This was the position Varian found them in when he returned a few hours later. He left them with a smile. Even he didn't have the heart to wake them up.

* * *

To Be Continued.

Let me know what you think.


	20. Chapter 20

New Chapter up. :)

* * *

Kia sat in a clearing in Moonglade, resting after her second attempt to shift into a druid cat form. The process of shifting hadn't been difficult, but she was having a hard time keeping her Bipedal mind focused while in the animal body. Quinn sat next to her, snoozing.

Kia had spent over two years in Pandaria with Prince Anduin, including the time she spent by his bedside while he recovered from his injuries cause by Hellscream. During that time, Kia had come to realize how much of a waste it was for her to have talent with magic and not take the time to develop it. The Pandarens believed strongly that any talent a person possessed should be explored to its fullest, regardless of how small the talent. The mentality struck a chord with Kia.

When Anduin decided it was time to return to Stormwind, Kia opted to travel to Moonglade, after informing her father she wished to learn how to be a druid. She no longer wanted to waste her abilities. Anduin encouraged her, even though she sensed a part of him desperately wanted her to return to Stormwind. The two had become even closer during their time together, though neither truly understood or explored the relationship. Anduin's brush with death had been almost as hard on Kia, as the recovery had been on Anduin.

Malfurion stood in the clearing with his daughter, maintaining an exterior of relaxed calm, but inside, he was thrilled his daughter had decided to focus more on becoming a full fledged druid. He was so delighted by her decision, he decided to take a hand in her training himself. He knew it might be difficult, since she was half human and there was a reason humans could not carry druidic power. They were just too young of a species to fully commune with nature at that level, but Kia was also half night elf, so she could learn and, more importantly, she was willing to try.

"I don't understand why I can't focus as a cat." Kia said, sounding a touch frustrated.

Malfurion chuckled. "It's your human half causing the problem. Night elves, even non-druids, learned to commune with nature centuries ago. Our connection to the natural world allows us to shift between forms, but yet keep our minds in a bipedal state. Tauren are much like us in that respect. The Worgen and the Trolls have a similar issue you are facing when shifting forms. It takes more effort to keep themselves whole while shifted because the natural connection to the world is not a part of their genes. It's the same with you."

"So, how do they overcome it?' Kia asked.

"Practice and time. You can train your mind to keep yourself in control. Some pick it up faster than others, but it is an important skill. Without it, you could lose control and become more beast than woman. It will get easier with time, I promise."

"I know." Kia replied, standing. "I'm just happy the magical side of being a druid has begun to get easier. I remember first learning how to use magic in Stormwind and I had a hard time focusing it, even with Anduin's help."

Malfurion placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's coming easier to you now, because you're embracing it, rather than fighting it. You want to learn how to use your magic now. A few years ago, you were determined never to learn. Mindset is important when it comes to magic. Mindset and belief in yourself."

Kia smiled up at her father. "I'm happy you're the one teaching me. It's nice to spend time with you."

Malfurion hugged her. "You have no idea how much I like hearing you say those words."

* * *

Time passed as it always does. In the blink of an eye, three years had gone by.

Kia readied her bow, took aim at the target in front of her and fired, hitting the target just right of center. She sighed, grumbling to herself.

Lantash landed behind her, lowering himself to allow the Tauren woman riding on his back to slip to the ground. "Visitor." He said in her mind. The dragon had adapted to life in Moonglade flawlessly. He'd almost doubled in size and had gotten used to being ridden. Normally, he only allowed Kia to ride him, but he sometimes permitted other druids to hitch a ride, if they were looking for Kia. Most druids didn't need the aid of a dragon to fly.

"I really don't understand why you still practice with a Bow, Ki." Vera Bloodhoof said, standing next to her friend. Vera was Baine Bloodhoof's cousin and one of Kia's best friends amongst the druids. "You're a druid now."

"I decided to learn to be a druid to enhance, not replace, Vera. I'm still a ranger, but it seems I need to practice more. I remember a time when I couldn't miss the center of a target, even when distracted. I've gotten lazy and rusty."

Kia shot another bolt at the target, this time coming only an inch from the center.

"Something big is about to happen. I can feel it coming. We all need to be ready." Kia said, more to herself than her friend. She turned to Vera. "And I'm not talking about all that hoopla with the time traveling and such. This is something different. We all need to be at the top of our game."

The tauren snorted, her tan and white tail twitching more rapidly. "Last time I checked, seeing the future wasn't one of your talents."

"Haven't you had a bad feeling about something and have it actually happen?"

Vera lowered herself to a seated position. "Of course, and I have to admit, something does feel off. I was hoping it was just something I ate."

Kia laughed, sitting down next her friend. Kia had always felt small when compared to other night elves, but she felt even smaller when sitting next to a tauren. Vera was actually fairly small for her kind, but she was still considerably bigger than Kia. Even small representatives of her species were taller and bulkier than most other species.

"You always did know how to lighten a mood." Kia replied.

"In all seriousness, I did get a message from Baine. Apparently he's requesting druids to help fend off a group of demons at the Crossroads."

Kia sat quiet for a moment, thinking. "That's what, the fifth demon attack recently? It seems unlikely these are just the acts of a few stray warlocks out to make trouble."

The two druid's musings were interrupted by a stormcrow landing in the clearing, which turned into Malfurion. They both stood, surprised by the Archdruid's appearance. He wasn't the type to just show up suddenly. He had always taught Kia it was rude.

"Father? What's wrong?" Kia asked. She could tell he was worried about something.

"I've been summoned to Stormwind by King Wrynn. All the Alliance leaders have. Something big is about to happen." He said. "Before I leave, I wanted to talk to you about something important. I want you to promise to stay here in Moonglade until I return."

The request confused Kia, since she had never been told to stay in one place by her father before. He had never felt the need to try to restrain his daughter and she appreciated the freedom. Kia's druid training had been slower than most, but even though she'd finally reached a status of full druid, she still was reluctant to call herself fully trained and ready to leave the druid's sanctuary. Besides, she liked Moonglade. It was peaceful.

"Of course I'll do as you ask, but why?"

Malfurion looked up at the sky, as if listening to a voice only he could hear. "I can't explain it. I just need you here where you're safe. Things will come to light soon." He looked down at her, placing a warm hand on her cheek. "I must go. I promise I will bring news to you soon."

Without warning, he turned back into a stormcrow and flew off.

"That was strange." Vera said.

"Very." Kia agreed. "I wonder why Varian would call everyone together like this."

Whatever the reason, Kia guessed it couldn't be good.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	21. Chapter 21

New chapter up. Enjoy. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Several days later and Kia hadn't heard anything from her father. There seemed to be no news of any kind from the eastern kingdom, other than demon attacks had increased to almost a daily event for both the Horde and the Alliance. Vera reported the Horde leaders had all been summoned away, much like the Alliance leaders.

Something big was going on and Kia found it beyond frustrating not know what. Her bad feeling was getting steadily worse and it was driving her crazy. The summoning of the leaders and the demon attacks had to be related. The timing could not be a coincidence.

It was late afternoon and Kia was preparing to take her evening ride with Lantash, when a druid in stormcrow form landed almost on top of Lantash in the clearing. Fortunately, the dragon had gotten used to having druids flying around him, so he didn't overreact to the intrusion.

"Lady Stormrage, you're needed in the main reception building right away. There's news from the Archdruid." The young night elf said, trying his best to remain calm. He was one of the younger, more excitable druids who had not yet learned how to keep his emotions in check. He seemed almost nervous to be speaking with the Archdruid's daughter. Most of her fellow druids called her Kia, knowing she hated formality.

"Stay here, I'll be right back." Kia said to Lantash, before turning into a stormcrow herself and following the younger druid to the building in question. When they arrived, Kendra, Moonglade's main custodian, was waiting, holding a paper transcript. She looked pale, which was odd for the normally dark blue skinned night elf. Something was terribly wrong.

"You have news from my father?' Kia asked. Kendra handed her the transcript.

Kia read the message quickly, then read it again, before she sank into one of the chairs in the room. For a moment, Kia's heart stopped. Before anything could be said, Vera rushed into the room.

"Lantash very nearly ran into me on my way to the waterfall. He pointed me in this direction. What's happening?" She asked.

"Varian Wrynn is dead." Kia said with a shaky voice, almost a whisper.

"What? How?" Vera asked.

"According to my father, the leaders of both the Horde and the Alliance were sent to lead the charge against the burning legion."

"The burning legion? Here? So they were responsible for the demon attacks?"

Kia nodded. "Apparently. The battle didn't go as planned and both sides were forced to retreat. Varian didn't survive. He sacrificed himself for his men."

All were quiet for several minutes. Vera was obviously thinking about her cousin, who must have also been at the battle. Kia didn't really know what to think. She was numb. Varian had been almost like a father to her over the years. She saw him as family. Suddenly, a thought came to her and she stood.

"Anduin." She said, looking to Kendra. "I need to go to Stormwind immediately."

"But Kia, your father told me to…" Kendra began.

"I don't care what my father told you! I need to go, Kendra. The high king is dead, which means Anduin will be ascending the throne. He needs me."

Kendra seemed to mull it over for a few seconds. The Archdruid had asked her to keep an eye on Kia and make sure she didn't leave Moonglade, but she knew Kia and the crown prince had been friends for years. How could she deny her request?

She sighed, but nodded. "I'll have a portal prepared and send word of your arrival to Stormwind. I'm sure your father will be eager to see you."

"Thank you, Kendra. Give me a few minutes to talk to Quinn and Lantash, then I'll leave at once." She turned to Vera. "Can you do me a favor and send Quinn and Lantash through to Stormwind in a few days. I'll have Quinn come to you when they're ready. I just need to go now. Alone."

Vera nodded. "Of course."

Kia turned into a stormcrow and flew towards her room, where she knew Quinn would be napping. She always took a nap during Kia's flights with Lantash. She had opened up her mind while she was talking to Kendra, so the dragon knew what was happening.

"Quinn and I will give you a few days alone before coming through. You go do what you must." Lantash said in her mind, his usual jovial mood replaced with a much more somber one.

"Thank you, my friend." She replied back.

Kia landed in her room, starling Quinn. "What's wrong?" She growled. The sabercat was very good a reading her friend's emotional state. She could almost smell the worry.

"I'm leaving for Stormwind, Quinn. The king has been killed."

Quinn bowed her head. "That is tragic news. Do you want me to come with you?"

"No. Can you and Lantash wait a few days? I don't want to crowd Anduin."

"Of course." Quinn jumped down and allowed Kia to hug her. "Go. Be with Anduin. We'll see you in a few days."

Kia held onto her furry friend for a few more seconds, then let go and shifted back into a stormcrow. She didn't bother getting any of her things, since she still maintained a chamber and belongings at the castle in Stormwind. Beside, she really didn't care about that, at the moment. She just needed to get to her friend.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	22. Chapter 22

New chapter up. This one is a bit sad. Hope you're enjoying my tale and thanks for reading.

* * *

When Kia stepped through the portal to Stormwind, she wasn't surprised to find her father waiting for her arrival. He looked somber and greeted Kia with a hug as soon as she was clear of the portal.

"I'm sorry, Kia. I know you were close to Varian."

Kia did her best to remain composed. She needed to be strong for Anduin and if she broke down now, she'd never be a able to hold it together later. She wasn't an emotional person, but if she started to cry, she'd never be able to hold herself together when she saw Anduin.

"I'm alright, father, I just don't understand how this could happen."

Malfurion pulled away and gave her a somber, but serious, look. "The leaders of both the Alliance and the Horde came together with our best warriors in an effort to stop the burning legion from getting a foothold in our realm. We didn't know it was a trap until it was too late. Both sides were overwhelmed and the king gave his life, so his men could get away. It was a noble death, fitting for his bloodline."

"And Anduin?" Kia asked.

"He ascended the throne yesterday. He's holding up well, but it's been difficult. Not only with the death of his father, but also with Jaina Proudmoore abandoning him."

Kia almost gasped. "That doesn't make sense. Jaina is like an aunt to Anduin, why would she leave him, particularly now."

Malfurion gave the two mages currently in the portal room a meaningful look. They nodded and left, the archdruid waiting until they were gone to reply.

"Jaina blames the Horde for Varian's death. So does Genn Greymane. They both moved for immediate retaliation against them, but the remaining leaders, myself included, urged the new king to focus on fighting the legion. If we try to fight a war on two fronts, we'll never survive. The legion can only be defeated if we work with the Horde, not against them. It appeared the Horde ran, leaving us to die, but we could not see the whole battlefield, the whole picture. I have a feeling more happened on that island than any of us know. " Malfurion bowed his head. "Anduin agreed with our assessment. Jaina got angry and left. Her patience, even with Anduin, isn't what it used to be, not since Theramore."

"I'm assuming he's at the keep?" Kia asked. She couldn't believe Proudmoore would just up and leave. Anduin needed support and she was the closest thing he had to family now. It made her angry, but she pushed the feeling down. Now wasn't the time.

Malfurion nodded. "He is. He'll need your support right now."

Kia returned the nod, then headed out of the tower. Once she made it to the stairway outside the tower's highest door, she shifted to a stormcrow and headed towards the castle. She had no time to waste walking there. She noted the people below as she flew over the city. The mood was obviously somber. She could tell even from above.

Just outside the keep, she noticed Archbishop Benedictus standing on the stairs, looking lost in thought. She landed a few feet from the man, then shifted. Her sudden appearance startled him.

"Lady Stormrage!" He said, placing a hand over his heart. "I see your Druid training is going well." He gave her a slight smile, though she could tell his heart wasn't in it.

"Forgive me, Archbishop. I just arrived by portal and I wanted to get to the keep quickly. Being able to fly myself around at will is still new. My father would have scolded me for popping up next to you as I did. Forgive me, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright, my dear. I'm very happy you're here. Of everyone in the new king's life, you're the one who can do him the most good, at the moment. Everyone is trying to give him advice or push him to do things. I know you're here for no other reason than to comfort a friend. Anduin is in mourning, even if he can't show it."

Kia nodded. The Archbishop had always been an insightful man. It didn't shock her to realize he understood her reasons for rushing to Anduin's side. She didn't care about any war or what direction the kingdom should go in. She just wanted to wrap her friend into a hug and console him over the death of his father and only blood relative. She needed to show him that not everyone he considered family had abandoned him.

Kia got closer to the Bishop and lowered her voice. "How's he doing?"

The man gave her a somber look. "Very well, considering the circumstances, but I'm still worried about him. This has all happened very fast and a great deal has been thrown at him all at once. And unlike before, he's not a child anymore. He's conducting himself like a king, but I'm concerned he's not giving himself a chance to openly grieve. He barely eats or sleeps, or so I've been told."

"I think I'll be able to help with that." Kia said.

The bishop place a hand on her shoulder. "I'm counting on it. Now go ahead to the throne room. The king is in the war room, but I'll let him know you're here. I have a feeling you won't have to wait long."

Kia nodded her thanks, and headed into the keep. The hall leading to the throne room had never seemed so long. Though she had traveled that hall dozens, if not hundreds of times, it just didn't feel the same anymore. She entered the room without incident, since most of the guards probably still knew who she was and why she was there.

In the center of the room was a stone casket engraved with Varian's likeness. Kia approached it slowly, stopping once she was less than a foot away. She reached out and placed her hand on the side. The dark stone was smooth and cool to the touch. It took all the willpower she could manage to not breakdown. After several minutes, she heard someone approach from behind.

"Clear the room!"

The guards stationed around the room left without hesitation and the doors to the throne room were closed. The room was eerily quiet and still.

"I was hoping this was all just some sick joke. I can't believe he's gone." Kia said quietly, her hand still on the cool stone. She turned to face Anduin, not trying to stop the tears from forming in her eyes. She wouldn't have been able to stop them, anyway, now that she was in the same room as Anduin.

Standing before her was a king. It was still Anduin, but his dress, his posture, everything was that of a king. He looked so much like his father in that moment. Without any further hesitation, she ran to him, hugging him tightly. He returned the hug fiercely, as if he'd been waiting for it since the news of the father's death reached his ears.

The hug continued for several minutes in silence. Tears were flowing freely now from Kia's eyes. She no longer felt the need to hide them.

"I'm so sorry, your Majesty." She said softly.

Anduin pulled back from the hug suddenly, though he didn't fully release her.

"Don't call me that. Never call me that. You're not a servant or a subject, you're my best friend. Please just call me by my name."

Kia could see tears threatening to fall in his eyes. She nodded and returned to the hug. "Of course, Anduin." Again there was a long pause, Kia waiting until she was sure she'd be able to get the words out before speaking. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just be here." He said, his voice, for the first time, sounding shaky.

"I'm here. I'll stay here for as long as you need me." She replied, taking note Anduin was now several inches taller than when she had seen him last. She seemed to fit in his arms perfectly, now that he was slightly taller.

Nothing else really needed to be said. They just stood in the empty throne room, holding each other. A while later, neither of them really knew how long, Sir Rodrick opened the door a crack, so as not to interrupt too suddenly.

"Sorry to interrupt, your Majesty, but you're needed back in the war room."

Anduin broke the hug and took a step back. He cleared his throat and composed himself while his back was turned. "Of course. I'll be right there." His voice was once again clear and strong, all signs of his earlier vulnerability gone. He squeezed Kia's hands one last time. "I'll see you at dinner?" He asked.

Kia nodded, not trusting her voice to cooperate. She wasn't the king and had no need to hold in her grief. She hoped her show of sadness would help Anduin feel like he wasn't the only person in pain.

Rodrick nodded in acknowledgement before following Anduin out of the room, leaving Kia alone for only a moment as Tyrande came in. She stood beside Kia, looking over at Varian's stone double.

"How are you holding up, Kia?" She asked.

"I knew this would be hard, but I'm finding it's all much harder than I anticipated. I want to be strong for Anduin, but I'm not sure I can."

Tyrande place a gentle had on Kia's shoulder and gave her a somber look. "Then don't be strong. The king has an entire kingdom putting on a strong face for him. Maybe what he needs most is someone who's showing exactly how they feel. You're his friend. Just be his friend and let the emotions come naturally."

Kia managed to smile. That was probably the best advice she had received in a long time. She turned and hugged Tyrande and the moon goddess returned it.

"Your father and I will be returning to Darnassus shortly." Tyrande said, looking down at her daughter. "Please take care of yourself and watch over the king. He'll need you to be something no one else can be right now, a friend."

Kia nodded, a new stream of tears falling.

Tyrande wiped away a tear from Kia's cheek and kissed her on the forehead, then turned and left.

Kia watched her leave with a new determination to do exactly what her mother said. Be Anduin's friend.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	23. Chapter 23

New chapter up. Enjoy. :)

* * *

The rest of the day went by slowly. After Seeing her parents off, Kia went to her old chambers. They had been left entirely alone since she left, outside of being cleaned to keep the dust from accumulating. She always liked her chambers in Stormwind and being there brought back a flood of memories. So much had happened since she had lived in those chambers.

At dinner time, she headed down to the dining room, not really running into anyone but guards along the way. She noted the pain in their eyes as she passed, the loss of their king obviously still weighing heavily in everyone's hearts. The atmosphere of the entire keep was heavy, almost like a dark cloud had descended on its inhabitants.

There were two guards standing outside the dining room when she arrived. They were Anduin's usual guards, who had obviously continued on to become the king's guards once the prince ascended the throne. They recognized Kia and smiled slightly as they opened the doors for her.

Anduin stood alone, staring into the fire. Kia approached him, placing a hand softly on his back. He turned to her and smiled, but it wasn't his usual smile. It looked forced, as if he only did it to make Kia happy. She really couldn't blame him, since honestly, he had very little reason to smile.

"Sorry I'm late. I was reminiscing in my old chambers and lost track of time."

Anduin nodded. "You're not late. The food just got here. I hope you don't mind that I asked to dine alone with you tonight. Everyone keeps thinking I need to be surrounded by people. I thought it would be nice to just be alone with a friend, for a change. I don't need anymore advice. I've had enough today."

Kia nodded, hearing the frustration in his voice. "Sounds good to me, as long as you do me a favor and actually eat."

Anduin groaned. "You've been talking to the bishop."

"He's worried about you. Everyone is."

He cocked his eyebrow. "Everyone? Even you?"

"Me? No, I'm not worried about you. At least not anymore. I'm here now and I can make sure you're alright. I don't need to worry, I can act on my concerns before they become worries. Like the fact that you're not eating enough."

Anduin walked over the the table and pulled out Kia's chair. She sat and he took his seat. "I promise I'll try. I just haven't felt much like eating since the news of father's death. I know it's not healthy."

"Maybe if we focus on something other than your father's death it'll help." Kia offered.

Anduin agreed. For the remainder of the evening, the friends talked about everything and anything except Varian and the simple fact that Anduin was now the king. They talked about things that happened while they were together that first year in Stormwind and laughed at their inside jokes. For a little while, they were children again.

The strategy worked, since Anduin absently ate while they talked, eating three times as much as he had since getting the news. Kia took note of it, but didn't mention it to him. She was just happy to have the old Anduin back, even if it were only for a few hours.

After dinner, they walked quietly and leisurely towards their chambers. They stopped outside Kia's door, Anduin only pausing long enough to kiss her on the cheek before hurrying to the next door down the hallway, which was where his chambers were when he was still only the prince. Kia figured he had yet to move into the royal chambers which were inhabited by his father before his death. That was going to be hard for him.

Kia went right to bed, but found she was unable to sleep. There were too many thoughts rolling around her head for her to fall asleep. After two hours, she gave up on sleeping all together. Wondering if Anduin was still awake, she pulled on a light robe and headed to the secret passage between her room and Anduin's. She had a sneaky suspicion her friend won't be asleep, but she entered quietly anyway, just in case.

Anduin's bed was empty and there was no sign of him anywhere in the room. It wasn't until she went outside on the balcony that she found him. He stood, silently looking out over Stormwind. He must have heard her, since he turned his head slightly, saw it was only Kia, then turned his gaze back towards the city.

"I'm not ready for this, Kia." He said softly. He turned and faced her. "I'm not ready to be king. These people deserve better."

Kia smiled at him, standing just outside the balcony. "That statement alone proves to me that you are ready. No one forced into this kind of situation feels ready for it. If you had been excited and confident about becoming king, I'd be worried, but since you feel unsure, I know you can handle this. The people love you and are lucky to have you stepping into your father's place."

Anduin only nodded, passing Kia and entering his chambers. He sat down on the edge of his bed.

"I wish I had your confidence."

Kia chuckled, sitting next to him. "You'll get there. Another reason I know you'll make a good king is because you are your father's son, in every way that matters. Varian may have done the best he could as a father, but he was good king. You will be too."

Anduin hugged Kia, pulling her close and she relaxed into the touch. She had been away for too long. This was where she was meant to be, no matter what she chose to do with her life. Stormwind was home, as long a Anduin was there.

Anduin pulled away just slightly, leaving his left hand on her side. He ran his right hand down her cheek, smiling. It was the first genuine smile Kia had seen since she returned. She returned the smile, but she noticed her heart began to speed up the longer he kept his hand on her face.

Moments later, Anduin leaned in and kissed her. This wasn't a friendly kiss on the cheek, but a gentle connection of lips. He moved his hands so they were holding Kia to him.

Kia didn't react at first, being shocked by the gesture, but soon recovered enough to move her arms from a hug, to wrapping them around his neck, kissing him back. She could feel his heart beating just as fast as her own.

The kiss was slightly awkward until Anduin guided Kia around to his front, so she was sitting on his lap, straddling his legs, all without breaking the kiss. They kissed for several minutes, neither of them willing to break away long enough to even catch their breath.

When air finally became an issue of Anduin, he pulled back, breathing hard. Kia was also out of breath, but her elvish lungs were handling the lack of oxygen better.

"What are we doing?" She asked, looking into her friend's eyes.

Anduin chuckled lightly. "I have no idea."

Kia smiled, placing a quick kiss on his lips. "Well, at least we're on the same page."

They began to kiss again, this time neither of them were willing to stop.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	24. Chapter 24

Quick chapter, but sweet. Enjoy.

* * *

Anduin awoke refreshed for the first time since his father died. At first he thought the previous night had only been an amazing dream, but then he looked over to the opposite side of his bed and Kia was there, sleeping soundly.

He smiled as he watched his best friend as she slept. She was on her stomach, her arms above her head, tucked under her pillow. The sheet had fall down to her waist, leaving her back bare. Her blue/green skin made a sharp contrast to the white sheets.

He reached over, moving a stray strand of her hair out of her face. Her sleeping face was peaceful and relaxed. Anduin wanted nothing more than to run his hand down the soft skin of her bare back, but he also didn't want to wake her. This moment was too good to risk ruining it just yet. The view was breathtaking.

For years, he had never thought of Kia as anything more than his best friend. When she arrived on Pandaria, he began to see more. She was beautiful, of course, he had noticed that fact when he was just a youth. Their time camping together in the jungle allowed him to see other things about her. How her movements were fluid and dance like. How her voice held an almost chime quality when she was excited. How soft her skin was when he caught her by the arm, preventing her from falling into the river.

Now, it all made sense.

Kia began to stir, breaking the king from his musings. Moments later, her eyes opened, glowing slightly in the dim of the not quite fully risen sun. She smiled at him and this time he didn't resist the urge to slide in closer to her, running his hand down her back. Kia rolled onto her side, not the least bit shy about her lack of clothing.

"Good morning. Did you sleep at all?" She asked, propping her head up under her arm.

Anduin nodded. "Better than I have in days. I haven't been awake for very long. I was enjoying the view too much to disturb you."

"Good. I must admit, I slept quite well myself." She said, stifling a yawn. "You looked deep in thought when I opened my eyes. Care to share what you were thinking?"

Anduin leaned heavily on his side, his head resting on his arm mimicking Kia, leaving his other arm free to continue running his hand lightly over her arm.

"I was thinking how beautiful you are." He replied.

Kia narrowed her eyes at him.

"I also figured something out. Something I've been trying to sort out for weeks."

Kia waited patiently for Anduin to continue.

"Over the last few months, father and Jaina have been introducing me to possible wives. They said I needed to get betrothed, but they didn't want me to feel pressured to marry the wrong woman. I must have met two dozen of them, but I dismissed all of them. I mean, they were all nice enough and pretty enough. Some were intelligent or strong. All of them exemplary in some way, but I couldn't see myself married to any of them. I couldn't figure out why."

"But now you know?" Kia asked.

Anduin nodded. "They weren't you. I realize now that each and every one of them I was subconsciously comparing to you. None of them measured up. My heart already belongs to you."

Kia sighed sadly, looking away from Anduin by rolling onto her back. As much as she loved the him, and she did with all her heart, she couldn't be with him on any formal level. "Anduin, I don't know…"

"Don't say we can't be together because you're not human. You're the daughter of the leader of the night elves. You're just as much noble blood as any of those other women. Not to mention, the people of Stormwind already love you."

Kia sat up, pulling the sheet up around herself and hugging her knees. "I don't want to cause any trouble for you. You should be with a human woman."

Anduin chuckled. "This might be the only time you'll ever hear me say these words, but I'm the king and I can do what I want."

This comment not only made Kia smile, but she couldn't help but chuckle. She snuggled back down next to Anduin, resting her head on her chest. "Very well, Your Majesty, you're the king and you can do what you want, but can we at least keep whatever this is to ourselves for a little while? I want to figure out what exactly we're doing and enjoy it a little before anyone else knows. You know people will talk."

Anduin knew exactly what Kia meant. Even though his father was gone and Jaina had left in anger about his decision not to fight the horde out of revenge, there would still be others around him who would not be pleased if Anduin chose Kia as his wife. Everyone loved her, of course, it was almost impossible not to, but the simple fact remained that she was only half human and that would matter to some people.

"We can keep this to ourselves. I'm not ready to share you yet, anyway." He held her tighter, eventually falling back asleep.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	25. Chapter 25

New chapter is up. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy.

* * *

It had been two weeks since her return to Stormwind and Kia was finally starting to feel a sense of calm. She knew things were far from calm, with the legion potentially at their doorsteps, King Varian still being mourned and the threat of the Horde lingering, but she'd take what she could get, even if it was just a few moments.

Quinn and Lantash had returned to Stormwind seven days after her arrival. They had brought with them a message from Vera back in Moonglade indicating that the Horde's warchief, Vol'Jin, had been mortally wounded in the same battle that had taken Varian Wrynn's life. The troll had since died of his injuries and had named the Banshee Queen as the new warchief. Kia had shared the information with Anduin, but had left her personal opinions out. She was not one of the king's advisers, she was his friend.

Kia sighed, looking away from the book she was reading and up thru the open ceiling of the garden in Stormwind keep, up at the sky. Friend. She guessed the word was still accurate. Anduin was still her friend, but he was also so very much more now. Quinn and Lantash were both thrilled with the revelation. Apparently, they had been waiting for it to happen while Anduin and Kia were on Pandaria. The attraction had been obvious to them.

Kia felt Quinn stand, moving away from where she had been lounging next to her. She opened her eyes to see the cat greeting Anduin with a gentle nudge to the side. Anduin ran his hand over her head, scratching behind her ear.

"Wow, you've managed to extract yourself from the war room." Kia said jokingly.

Anduin nodded. He looked extremely tired and just a little frustrated. "Barely. I'm glad Genn Greymane has returned. He has a good mind for war and he seems to have put this grudge against the Horde aside, at least for the time being. His help will be invaluable planning our efforts against the legion. My father trusted him and so do I."

Anduin joined Kia in the garden, taking a seat next to her. Kia could tell something else was bothering him. Not wanting to push, she simply took his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.

"That's good. I'm glad Genn's here. You've always looked up to him."

Anduin nodded again, but didn't speak. They sat quietly for a few minutes, holding hands and looking up at the sky. It was a rich blue, with not a single cloud to interrupt the color. Kia only wished Anduin could feel the peace in just sitting and watching the sky. The role he had been born to fill was not an easy one.

"I wish Jaina were here." He said quietly, not looking away from the sky.

Kia knew he missed his adoptive aunt. Unfortunately, the mage had too many horrors in her past to be able to move on from Varian's death quickly or easily. She blamed the Horde for his death, rightfully or not, and it seemed unlikely she would accept Anduin's decision to stop fighting the Horde, while the legion was the bigger threat. She was leading with her heart, while Anduin was forced to lead with this head.

"I'm so mad at her for leaving the way she did, as if I wasn't mourning father's death too, but…" He paused.

"She's family." Kia completed his sentence.

"She should be here. How could her revenge mean more to her than me?"

Kia turned around and faced him, taking both of his hands. "It doesn't. She's just angry and blinded by grief. Eventually, she'll realize what's she's done and return. She cares very much about you. I know it's not much of a comfort, but..."

"It's comfort enough.' He leaned over and hugged her. "I'm just glad you're here."

The hug lasted for several minutes. It was about as far as they would go in public. They had yet to tell anyone about the new aspects of their relationship. Honestly, they didn't need to be all too careful, since they had always been fairly comfortable with each other, with hugs and platonic kisses to the cheek not uncommon.

A clearing of a throat pulled them out of the moment. They both turned to see King Genn Greymane standing before them. The gilnean looked almost as tired as Anduin.

"Sorry to interrupt, your Majesty, but you're ready for you."

Anduin stood. "Of course." He looked down at Kia, placing a kiss on her hand. He knew she hated the gesture, which was why he did it. Kia just rolled her eyes. "I'll see you at dinner."

Genn waited until Anduin was gone, then took several steps closer to Kia. "It's good to see you, My Lady."

Kia stood. "Likewise, your Majesty. I'm glad you've returned. The last few weeks have not been easy on Anduin. Having you here will help, I think. Maybe give him a chance to breathe."

Genn bowed his head. "I regret leaving the way I did. It had nothing to do with Anduin's decision to focus our attention on the Legion and everything to do with me feeling responsible for his father's death. I just couldn't face him."

"He doesn't blame you. He never has. Anduin isn't the type to think in such a way." Kia reassured him.

Genn seemed to consider her words. "Perhaps. I plan to make it up to our new king all the same. Speaking of Anduin, I seemed to be interrupting a very intimate moment between you."

Kia shrugged. "He's my best friend, regardless of his title. After his father died, Anduin lost all his family, all the people who weren't advisers or guards or servants. At the moment, I'm his only true friend who has no other agenda other than do what I must for his well being outside of being a king. What you saw was his only source of non-political reassurance."

Her comments sounded defensive, but Genn didn't press. "I don't believe you, but I'll let it go. Anduin's life is very stressful right now. He needs something outside of being king and if that something is you, whatever the capacity, then so be it." He lowered his voice. "And on a personal note, I think you're good for him and I'm happy for both of you."

Genn bowed to Kia, then headed back the way he came.

Kia sat back down and Quinn returned to her side, leaning up against her.

"See, your secret isn't much of a secret. At least to those who know you or Anduin."

"With any luck, those that do figure it out will keep it to themselves." Kia said softly, resting her hand on Quinn's neck.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	26. Chapter 26

Sorry for the delay in updating. Hope you're enjoying the story.

* * *

The weeks went by and Anduin felt like he was accomplishing nothing. Everyday he attended meetings and war councils with generals, advisers and other leaders from all across Azeroth, but every meeting ended with the same topic...the Broken Shore. The place where his father died saving his men and the place where the battle against the burning legion was currently taking place.

The new king could hardly find time to eat or sleep, let alone grieve for the loss of his father. The only thing keeping him sane was sleeping next to Kia at night. He'd return to his chambers in the wee hours of the morning to find Kia sound asleep in his bed. He'd snuggle up close to her and found the only peace he had in his life. In her sleep, she'd sense his presence and roll into him. Those moments were the only things keeping him going.

What bothered Anduin the most was the attitude of his people. They liked and respected him, of course. Being liked and respected was never a problem. The problem was they didn't trust him or believe in him as a king and Anduin really couldn't blame them. He wore the crown and held the title, but he often felt like he had done nothing to earn it. His father and his grandfather had both been great warriors. Even when their decisions weren't popular, in the end, people trusted their king to do what was best of the people of Stormwind. Anduin had not earned that same sense of trust. Not yet, anyway.

And it wasn't just the people whose trust he needed to earn, it was everyone else as well, his advisors, his military and the other leaders. He had overheard Prophet Velen, who was currently staying in Stormwind to serve as an advisor, and Genn talking about him. They were concerned for him. Velen assured Genn that with time, Anduin would become a great leader and ruler. Genn was concerned that Anduin just couldn't understand the weight of his orders on the war, since he had never seen it, first hand.

The more Anduin thought about it, the more he knew Genn was right. Since becoming king, Anduin hadn't left Stormwind. He was giving orders and commands from the relative safety of the keep, not seeing the price of those commands. This was why Anduin planned to sneak out to the Broken Shore. He had to, if he was to gain the trust of those who followed his orders.

Anduin looked down at Kia as she slept. She was going to hate this plan and would probably insist on accompanying him. He wasn't going to allow her to go with him, though. Even though he know she was a fully trained ranger and a powerful druid, Anduin wanted Kia nowhere near the fighting. She was the only family he had left and she was going to stay safe.

The thought made Anduin smile sadly. Was this how his father had felt about him? Was this the reason he had led a sheltered life within the keep? Had his father been so desperate to protect the only family he had left, that he was willing to practically smother him at times?

Anduin held Kia closer and quickly fell asleep.

* * *

Kia paced the room. She often did this when she was thinking. Movement had always helped her think. Anduin sat on the bed, watching her pace. He had just told her his plan to visit the troops on the Broken Shore and to see the place where his father was killed. Just as he had expected, Kia hated the idea.

"I fear for your safety." Kia finally said, stopping in front of Anduin. "The last time you went off on your own…"

Anduin nodded. "I know. I still feel the pain from that mistake, but I've learned from it."

Kia then knelt before him, her hands on his knees. "I understand why you must go. I even understand why you want me to stay behind. I'll do as you wish, without complaint. I'll worry about you, of course, but I know you can take care of yourself. You're the king now. You can't always stay where it's safe."

Anduin stood, pulling her up with him. He hugged her tightly. Kia rested her head on his chest.

"I saw first hand how you handled yourself during our time in Pandaria. I believe in you, Anduin. In time, everyone else will too."

"I don't know how I would have survived these last few weeks without you." He said softly, not releasing the hug. He could tell Kia was trembling slightly.

"Just promise me you'll be careful."

Anduin pulled away so he could look into Kia's glowing blue/green eyes. "I promise."

Kia placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him gently. She then slipped away through the hidden passage between their chambers. She wanted to be out of sight before she let the first of her worried tears fall. She knew he had to go, but deep down, she was terrified. All she could see was Anduin, the man she loved with all her heart, lying on the ground, clinging desperately to life, powerless to help him.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	27. Chapter 27

New chapter up. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

* * *

The first week after Anduin departed for the Broken Shore, Kia was heartsick with worry. It probably wouldn't have been so bad, had he traveled with his guard. At least then she would know he wasn't alone. As it was, she had no way of knowing if he had made it to his destination or if he were even still alive.

Anduin had left a message to be delivered to Velen after he left, knowing his advisors would only try to stop him if they knew of his plans. After receiving the message, both Velen and Genn departed for the Broken Shore as well, though Velen had not told King Genn of Anduin's plan.

Kia took to spending most of her time in Elwynn Forest with Lantash and Quinn, doing her best to keep away from anyone who might think to ask her about the King's whereabouts. It was best that most still believed he was tucked away in the keep or praying in the cathedral. People tended to get nervous when their heirless king went out to fight a war.

It was at the end of the third week that a message arrived for Kia via one of the SI:7 officers.

Kia read it quickly, then read it aloud to Quinn.

"Well, it's good to know he's doing well." Quinn replied, stretching out on the bed as Kia paced around her chambers, reading and re-reading the letter.

Anduin had remained anonymous for several days, silently observing the soldiers of the Alliance. The Broken Shore was nothing like anything the young king had ever seen before.

He wrote:

"My father kept me sheltered from war. He once told me that there must always be a Wrynn to rule Stormwind. Perhaps that was why he raised me the way he did. I now understand why he feared for my safety. He feared losing me. I was all he had left of my mother."

"For generations, my family have been rulers of Stormwind. My father, grandfather, even my great grandfather all stood shoulder to shield with their men during times of war, battling for the freedom of Stormwind and the Alliance."

"I have seen the horrors of this land and the sacrifices my people are making. I've also seen the bravery and heroism of the soldiers who fight here. I only hope I can someday live up to those heroes."

"I have seen the spot where my father fell. I have also recovered his sword. When I touched it, I got a vision of my father, telling me I must now do what a king must do. The sword was dead when I first lifted it, but it came to life after the vision. I now know what I must do, though only time will tell if I have the strength and bravery to do it."

"I miss you greatly, but I know it was the right choice asking you to stay in Stormwind. I do not know when I will return, but I will write to you as often as I can. Take care of yourself."

Kia sighed, folding the letter delicately and placing it in her desk drawer. "He's truly walking in his father's shoes for the first time. He's seeing things he's only ever heard about." Kia said to Quinn.

"Anduin isn't like his father. He's powerful, but he's not a warrior in the same sense as his father or grandfather." Lantash said in Kia's head.

"No, he's not. He'll find his own way. Though I doubt he'll stay on the Broken Shore for long." Kia replied out loud. "All of his family before him fought with their men, that's true, but they also had family back home. They all had an heir to carry on the Wrynn name, if they should fall in battle. Anduin is the last. Until he has an heir, Genn and Velen will not encourage him to stay and fight. They will want him in Stormwind."

Lantash, who had gotten used to hanging out on the roof of Kia's chambers, stuck his head in through one of the windows. He had doubled in size and this was the only way he could speak without it being mind to mind. He turned out to be significantly larger than a normal adult male dragon. "So, you and the king gonna start working on making that heir?" He asked.

Quinn growled slightly, obviously not happy with the dragon's blunt question.

Kia looked down at the floor sadly. "I can't be queen or produce him an heir. He needs a human woman, so they can have a human baby. Love is irrelevant."

Quinn stood and trotted over to Kia. "You said it yourself, he chose you. He rejected every woman his father tried to introduce him to because they were not you. Do you honestly think he'll just walk away from you for a human woman? He loves you too much. You may think love is irrelevant, but I'm betting Anduin does not."

Kia sat down on the edge of her bed. "He won't want to, no, but he will. For the good of Stormwind, he will."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	28. Chapter 28

A quick one for you tonight. enjoy!

* * *

Anduin sat in his tent on the Broken Shore, tired, but satisfied with the day's campaign. He had spent the better part of three months on the battlefield, fighting alongside his men. His fighting style was far different than his father's, but Anduin could almost feel the morale of the soldiers increase just knowing their king was fighting with them.

His father's sword held a power which even Anduin, with his less than perfect skills, could wield with deadly effect. It was as if the spirit of his father somehow guided the blade. Anduin wondered if it felt that way when Varian had wielded it. Regardless, Anduin took up the fighting style of a priest, often calling upon the Light, rather than that of a straight out warrier. He could also shield, as well as heal, which made an impact in a battle.

Genn entered the tent, bowing his head slightly to Anduin. "Reports are coming in from the southern plains, your Majesty. It looks like we've driven the demons back enough where our men should be able to hold the territory. Your plan of attack worked well."

Anduin nodded. "It's good to know I learned something from my father."

Genn smiled at the king, taking a seat next to him at the table. "Judging by the last few weeks, I'd say you learned a great deal from your father. He'd be proud of you and so am I."

"Thank you Genn. That means a great deal coming from you."

They sat in comfortable silence for a few moments, Genn not being sure how to bring up the topic he wished to discuss with the king. Wars and battles he was good at, emotions came much more painfully.

"I don't want to overstep my bounds here, but might I ask if your father succeeded in finding you a potential bride before he was killed. I know he had been accepting proposals. Now, more than ever, you need to think about an heir. Or at the very least, name a successor."

Anduin knew the topic would come up eventually. It weighed heavy on his mind while he was on the battlefield. He was the last of this family line. The last Wrynn. If he were to fall, there would be no others and without an heir or an official successor, there would be no clear leadership of Stormwind or the Alliance.

"No. I rejected all his prospects. I will not marry a woman I do not love. It doesn't really matter, anyway. I have already chosen my queen."

Genn sighed, looked down at the ground for a moment. "I adore Lady Stormrage. She's beautiful and powerful and everything a queen should be…"

"I sense a but coming. Please don't say, but she's not human."

Genn looked up at him "...but, she's not human, your Majesty."

Anduin stood suddenly. "There's no rule stating the queen of Stormwind must be human. There's no rule stating the heir to the throne of Stormwind must be fully human. I love Kia. I love her with my whole heart and soul. With every fiber of my being."

"I'm not sure if the people of Stormwind are ready for a half elvish queen." Genn replied.

This was one of the few times Genn could remember ever seeing Anduin truly angry. He had always been a very even tempered young man. Probably because of all the anger he saw from his father. Anduin wasn't likely to take on the traits he hated most from Varian. "If the people of Stormwind aren't ready for a half elvish queen, then maybe it's time for the Wrynn line to end."

Genn could only marvel at the boy's conviction. For a moment there, he could have sworn he was addressing Varian. He stood, placing a hand on Anduin's shoulder. "Sometimes you are so much like your father. I believe if he were alive today, he would give you and Kia his blessing."

Genn sat back down, pouring two glasses of wine from the almost full wine bottle sitting on the table. "Besides, who am I to stand in the way of true love."

He handed one of the glasses to Anduin as he also returned to his seat.

"Let's drink a toast to what will be, Light willing, a happy and prosperous union between you and your love. And to hoping Stormwind is ready for what's to come."

Anduin didn't drink much, having seen what it did to his father, but he did drink a glass of wine with Genn.

"I'll return to Stormwind within the week." Anduin said thoughtfully. "But, I might need to make a quick stop along the way."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	29. Chapter 29

New chapter up. I love this chapter. I think it's sweet and I liked writing it. Enjoy.

* * *

Malfurion sat quietly in the forest on the edge of Darnassus. The war with the legion had been making him feel drained and impure, so he found himself communing with nature more often. It helped make him feel more like himself.

Most of his fellow night elves knew better than to interrupt the Archdruid when he was connected with nature, unless it was truly important, so when the sentinel walked up to him, waiting patiently for him to acknowledge her presence, he knew something was happening. He slowly lowered himself out of the trees, his feet touching the ground lightly.

"I'm sorry to interrupt you, Archdruid, but we received a message stating that King Anduin Wrynn is about to portal to Darnassus."

"Anduin?" He replied. His first thoughts going to Kia. If something had happened to her, it would be Anduin who would deliver the news personally. King of Stormwind or not, he was Kia's greatest friend. "Once he arrives, please show him to the arboretum. I'll join him there shortly.

The sentinel bowed, then mounted her sabercat and sprinted back to Darnassus.

Malfurion took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to calm his nerves. This didn't mean there was something wrong with Kia. Anduin was the king now and there was a war going on. This could have nothing to do with his daughter. It wasn't unusual for the High King of the Alliance to travel to the other capital cities to discuss business.

Malfurion made his way to the arboretum, wishing Tyrande were here and not in Ashenvale. He missed her supportive presence. The city was lonely without her.

He entered the arboretum to find the king casually examining one of the Tollian flowers near the waterfall, the nearly four inch, pink blossoms moving slightly in the breeze. It made him feel better to find Anduin seemed relaxed. Anxious, maybe, but not in distress. If something had happened to Kia, Anduin would not be calm.

"Your Majesty. I'm honored by your visit." Malfurion said, bowing. Anduin looked different than he had when the night elf had left Stormwind right after Varian's death. He looked older, and more confident. He also looked a great deal like this father, carrying himself like a king. Malfurion also noted that Anduin now carried his father's sword, which had been lost at the Broken Shore at the time of his death.

"I'm sorry to drop in unannounced, Archdruid, but I needed to speak with you."

"Is Kia alright? The last I heard you were personally overseeing the battle at the Broken Shore. I can only assume Kia was with you." Malfurion asked.

Anduin chuckled nervously. "I probably should have started with that. Yes, Kia is fine. She was living happily in Stormwind the last time I saw her. She didn't go to the Broken Shore with me. I asked her to stay behind. I'm actually here on a more personal matter."

"What can I do for you, Anduin?" Malfurion switched to a less formal tone, knowing the new king was much more comfortable when called by his name. Anduin was good a formality, but didn't prefer it.

Anduin paused, taking a calming breath. "First, don't think of this visit as the King of Stormwind visiting the leader of the night elves. Think of it as a young man coming to speak with the father of the woman he loves. I wish to have your blessing to marry Kia."

"I did not realize your relationship had gone to that level." Malfurion said, not sure what else to say after a slight pause. This was definitely not what he had expected from the king. He knew Kia thought the world for Anduin, though he hadn't heard anything about any romantic attachment. He had suspected there could be something between them, but he didn't feel it was his place to inquire.

"It's relatively new. It took the trauma of father's death to take us there, but I think we both felt the same way a long time ago. We just never admitted it to ourselves or each other." Anduin said nervously.

"Have you asked her yet?"

Anduin shook his head. "Not yet. I wanted to get your blessing first. It's a bit of a human custom, getting the blessing of the bride's father. I honestly haven't studied much about the marriage customs of the night elves." He shrugged. "I never thought I'd fall in love with one."

Malfurion walked to the back of the arboretum, examining the flower Anduin had been looking at when he arrived. "I'd say I was surprised by this revelation, but I'm honestly not. Kia has loved you since the moment she saw you. She might not have consciously known it, but her actions have always spoken louder than her words." He turned to Anduin. "On several occasions, she dropped what she was doing to assist you, even if you were not the one asking for help."

Anduin nodded. "Yes, I had a feeling she might have done that, particularly when she joined me on Pandaria, though she'd never admit it to me. I think I've loved her since the moment I saw her on that archery field, the day she arrived in Stormwind. I was too young to fully realized what I was feeling, of course, but now it seems so clear."

Malfurion stood quietly for a moment, thinking. The look in Anduin's eyes was similar to what he figured he looked like when he looked at Tyrande. The boy was in love and it took great courage to approach someone of Malfurion's age and position, just so he could marry the woman he loved. It took even more courage, considering Anduin's station.

"I will give you my blessing, Anduin Wrynn, if you can promise me one thing."

"Anything." Anduin said.

"On multiple occasions, Kia has sacrificed something of hers, to help you. I know it's a difficult thing to promise when you're the king but, are you willing to sacrifice for her? Will you show her the same blind love and devotion?"

"If she asked me to abdicate the throne and run away with her, I'd do it in a heartbeat."

Malfurion laughed. Those were the words of a man in love. "I highly doubt she'd ever ask that of you, but it's good to know your devotion runs deep." he nodded to the young king. "You have my blessing, Anduin."

Anduin bowed. "I thank you, Archdruid."

The night elf waved his hand dismissively. "If you're going to be my son in law, you can call me Malfurion, when the company is appropriate, of course. Now, my young friend, you look like you've traveled a long way. Please, grace us with your presence at dinner. Tyrande is due to be back within the hour and I would be honored if you would spend the night here in Darnassus, before you head back. A first hand update from the frontline would be welcome."

"I'd be happy to stay. Honestly, I'd like to be rested when I see Kia tomorrow. Asking for your blessing was the easy part, I think."

"Not to worry, your Majesty, Kia loves you. She may fight you on not being totally human, but don't let her. She deserves to be happy. As do you."

Anduin laughed, nodding. "This is one fight I plan to win."

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To Be Continued...


	30. Chapter 30

Got another chapter for you. Thanks for reading. I hope you're enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it.

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Kia had received word Anduin was returning to Stormwind. He had requested she meet him in the garden in Stormwind Keep.

She was overjoyed Anduin was returning, but she was a little confused as to why he wanted to meet her in the garden. Normally, she would have met him in the portal room. Something was up and it worried her. Anduin had been gone a long time and war had a way of changing people.

The garden was empty, either by coincidence or by some order Anduin had given his guards. The weather was starting to slip into a more fall like range, the temperature being slightly cool, but by no means cold yet. In a month or two, the garden would be filled with falling leaves and late blooming plants. The garden was kept stocked with a range of plants which grew at different times of the year ensuring it was beautiful year round.

Kia sat, quietly reading. She wasn't getting very far in her book, since her mind was too distracted by other things to truly focus. After an hour or so, she was able to focus on her book enough to not hear when someone entered the garden.

"Leave us." Came the command from a familiar voice.

Kia looked up and smiled, placing her book on the bench next to her. Anduin looked different than he had when he left months ago. He looked older, somehow. He looked more like a king. Her heart skipped a beat or two as she rushed over to him. Fortunately, he had removed all others from the garden, so she was able to greet him with both a hug and a kiss. He held her tightly, relaxing into the touch.

"You weren't worried about me, were you?" Anduin asked, pulling out of Kia's arms just enough to look down into her eyes.

Kia scoffed. "Of course I was worried. You were on a battlefield and I wasn't there with you. The only time I worry about you is when you're not with me, remember?."

A sly smile formed on Anduin's face. "I think we should remedy that."

The look he gave Kia held an intensity unlike anything she'd ever witnessed in his blue eyes before. The look made her tremble, though she wasn't sure why.

"Marry me, Kia. Agree to be my wife." Anduin's voice was nothing more than a whisper, though the words spoke louder to Kia than any shout.

"Anduin, I love you, but I can't. You know I can't." The pain in her voice was almost tangible. She pulled away, turning her back to him.

"Yes, you can." He went around her, so they were facing each other again. "There is no law or rule that states the queen of Stormwind must be fully human. Personally, I think the Wrynn bloodline would only be enhanced by having a little elvish blood introduced into it. And the people already love you. They're used to seeing you and I together. I doubt many of them will be shocked by the revelation." He took both her hands in his. "I love you and only you. I'd do almost anything if it's in the best interest of Stormwind and its people, but I will not give you up. When it comes to my heart, I will not compromise. Not for anyone."

Kia took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She had prepared for this battle. During Anduin's absence, she had come up with multiple arguments and points to make which would surely change Anduin's mind about their relationship. She was well prepared for this fight, but now that the fight was upon her, she found she couldn't remember a single one of her well reasoned points. She hated to admit it, but she realized she had already lost the battle. She'd lost it the moment Anduin first said hello to her on that training field, so many years ago.

"You win." She said softly.

Anduin beamed at her. "Did you just say, I win. You're not fighting me on this anymore?"

Kia chuckled at his surprise. He must have been ready to dig in for quite a fight. A fight he was determined to win at all costs. The idea made her love him even more. What woman wouldn't like the idea of a man willing to fight for her.

"I'm done fighting. Yes, I'll marry you."

Anduin hugged Kia, lifting her off the ground.

"Once word gets out about this, things are going to move quickly, won't they?" Kia asked, once Anduin placed her back on her feet.

"I'm afraid so. Most kings get married before they inherit the crown, but then, few things in my life have gone the way of most kings. The main reason I'm being pushed to get married is so I can produce an heir. People get nervous when their ruler is the last of his line. And I haven't named a successor, either. Genn gave me hell for charging into battle without one."

Kia nodded. "I figured as much."

"I know it's asking quite a bit of you, very quickly, and I didn't even think about asking if you were ready to be a mother, but…"

Kia placed a hand gently over Anduin's lips, silencing him. "It's alright. I understand how things work. As long as I'm with you, I can handle any of it. Even having a baby in the near future."

They sat on the bench at the far side of the garden. Both of them were trying to absorb everything that had just happened in the last ten minutes. Their lives were about to change, but Anduin couldn't think of a time when he had been happier.

"Oh, and Ki, just so you hear this from me, your parents already know about my intentions to ask you to marry me."

"How?"

"It's an old human tradition for a man to ask a woman's father permission to marry their daughter, before they ask the daughter herself. Considering who your father is, I thought the tradition was appropriate. I've always held a great deal of respect for Malfurion."

"And did he give his permission?" Kia asked, curious as to when Anduin even had time to stop by Darnassus.

"We reached an understanding, but I don't think he was surprised."

Kia nodded, not sure what he meant by them reaching an understanding, but she decided not to press. Her father was a perceptive man and he knew his daughter well. He probably knew about their relationship, before either of them did.

"So, what happens now?" Kia asked.

Anduin took her hand again, looking out over the garden. "I plan to announce our engagement during my Remembrance Day speech next week. We'll probably be married a couple of weeks later, before the weather gets too cold."

"Do we do a human or a night elf ceremony?" Kia asked.

Anduin was quiet, thinking. He hadn't actually thought about that part of things. He knew Kia was half night elf, of course, but he had never thought about getting married anywhere but in the cathedral in Stormwind. It hadn't occurred to him that Kia might want to have the ceremony somewhere else. She was just as much human as elf, but she had been raised an elf, following elvish traditions.

Kia could see the conflict in Anduin's eyes and decided to let him off the hook.

"We can get married in the cathedral with a human ceremony. Considering your connection to the Light and the simple fact you are the king, I figured you'd want to get married there. I only ask one thing, that we have a smaller night elf ceremony afterwards, here in this garden. For elves, marriage is usually a small affair, shared with only a handful of friends and family. Usually just parents, siblings and a few witnesses. You can ask people you truly care about to stand with you. If I remember correctly, I think Varian stood at Malfurion and Tyrande's marriage ceremony."

"I like that idea." Anduin said, though inside he was sad. The one person he still thought of as family wouldn't be there for this. Jaina. She was an aunt to him, but he doubted she'd be willing to put aside her anger to be witness to the happiest day of his life. He'd try to locate her, of course, but no one can go into hiding like a mage.

Anduin didn't want to cut Jaina out of his life, but she wasn't leaving him with many options.

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To Be Continued...


	31. Chapter 31

New chapter up. Sorry it took so long. Been busy. Thanks for reading.

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Attros Balon stepped through the portal, looking around the mage tower. It had been years since he'd visited Stormwind. Once he became a fully trained mage of the Kirin Tor, well on his way to becoming an Archmage, he started to spend most of his time in Dalaran. Since moving the city to the Broken Shore, it was more important than ever for every able bodied mage of the Kirin Tor to stay with the city. But today was a special occasion.

Attros's wife, Helana, stepped through the portal right behind him. No doubt she was happy to be back in Stormwind. She had been overjoyed to have married a future Archmage, but she wasn't happy about her home in Dalaran being moved closer to the battle still ongoing with the Legion. She wasn't a very hardy woman. She enjoyed the luxuries marrying a powerful mage afforded her, but being close to a major battle was not one of them.

Once through the portal, Attros stopped to speak with one of the mages currently helping with the dozens of portals from all over the world. Everyone wanted to bare witness to King Anduin Wrynn's first Remembrance Day. As they spoke, a portal from Darnassus opened and a familiar face walked through.

"Kia?" Attros asked.

Kia looked up and smiled. She looked almost exactly the same as she had the day she left Northrend on the King's errands, other than her robes. She was obviously dressed up for the occasion, which was odd. She hated dressing up and usually wore clothes suited for rangers.

"Attros? It's been a long time." She replied, stepping closer to the mage, to allow the portal she had stepped through to close.

Helana stepped up beside Attros, looking ready to block this new woman from her husband, if need be. Attros placed a gentle hand on her arm to stop her movement. He hated how jealous Helana got around other women, like every female he spoke with was out to steal him from her.

"Here for Remembrance Day, I'm guessing?"

Kia chuckled slightly, then nodded. "I guess you could say that. I actually live in Stormwind now. I'm just coming back from some business with my father."

"Let me present my wife, Helana. My dear, this is an old friend of mine, Kia Stormrage. She's the one I told you about, who could talk with animals. She helped the Kirin Tor sort out that mess with the red dragonflight. She's Archdruid Malfurion Stormrage's daughter."

Helana nodded. "Of course. It's an honor to meet you."

Attros couldn't believe his bad luck. He had never intended for Kia and Helana to meet. Helana was a jealous woman, who very obviously married him for his place in society. She was gorgeous and she looked good on his arm. In her opinion, a hybrid would have no place in Alliance upper echelon society. It was the main reason he never told her Kia had been a girlfriend, not just an acquaintance.

Before anymore could be said, a voice rang out from behind them.

"Welcome home, Your Majesty."

Kia sighed, rolling her eyes. She turned towards the voice. Three armored and armed men stood at the entrance of the room. Two palace guards and an older man, who was obviously their superior. .

"Not yet, Sir Rodrick." She said, sounding slightly annoyed.

"Sorry, my lady. I was just trying it out for size." The older man apologized, though he sounded more amused than truly sorry.

"And how does it fit?" Kia asked.

Rodrick thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "I think I'll be able to get used to it."

Kia smiled sweetly at the older man. "Probably faster than I will. I'm guessing it's time."

Rodrick nodded. "Indeed it is. His Majesty is waiting for you."

Kia turned back to Attros and Helana. "Well, we certaining can't have that, now can we. It was nice to see you again, Attros. And it was nice to meet you Helana. Perhaps we'll get a chance to speak again while you're here. If you'll both excuse me."

Kia turned and left the tower with the guards.

"What could the king possibly want with her?" Helana said quietly to Attros.

Attros shrugged. "They're friends. Have been for years, I think. It's not surprising, since she is the daughter of the leader of the night elves." He didn't say anything about the guard calling her Majesty. The word Majesty was used exclusively for royalty. Specifically, the king and queen. This meant Kia was being considered royalty. Or will be soon. Helana didn't seem to have put those ideas together through her jealous blinders.

It was probably better that way. Helana's father had petitioned King Varian for betrothal with Prince Anduin. The proposal had been rejected. Marrying a mage was many steps down from marrying a crown prince. If he was right about this, Helana was going to be impossible to live with. That's what he gets for marrying for looks and not love.

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To Be Continued...


	32. Chapter 32

A new little chapter for you. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

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Rodrick escorted Kia to the castle in relative silence. It had been nice to see Attros again, but she quickly moved on from the encounter. She had too many things to worry about, at the moment, old boyfriends and their jealous wives could not be one of them.

When they reached the castle, she went directly to Anduin's chambers. He had decided that once they were married, they would both move into his parent's old chambers. Until then, he was staying put in his chambers. He said he needed the familiarity of them to help get through all the other changes in his life. Kia suspected his delay in moving into his father's old chambers was more an emotional procrastination then anything else, but she didn't press the issue.

Anduin's guards opened the door for her and the sight she saw when she entered made her gasp. The gasp must have been loud enough to be heard, since the sound made Anduin turn, giving Kia a concerned look. "What's wrong?"

Kia recovered quickly, smiling at him. "Nothing. I just thought you were Varian for a moment." He was dressed in the traditional formal wear of the king of Stormwind. Besides the blonde hair, we looked just like his father.

"Is that a good thing?" He asked, looking down at his attire.

Kia walked up to him, placing a gentle kiss on his lips. "It's a very good thing. You look like a king."

He kissed her back, giving her a quick hug.

"So, how'd it go?" He asked.

Kia had gone home to Darnassus to met with a night elf healer. She wanted to confirm she'd be able to have children. The human healers had said she was perfectly healthy, but they had limited knowledge of night elves and hybrids. Even though It didn't matter to Anduin, he'd already told Kia he was going to marry her regardless, it mattered to Kia. She could never forgive herself if she couldn't give Anduin an heir.

"They said everything is functioning and I should have no problems carrying a baby to term. They did say getting pregnant might be a challenge. They really have very little reference on hybrid conception, besides information on other less sentient species. But they seem to think any pregnancy will go more towards human than night elf, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Sounds like our biggest obstacle will be getting pregnant."

"So, what I'm hearing is we're just going to have to work hard to get you pregnant, once we start trying."

Kia took a seat at his desk, chuckling lightly. Anduin was such a male, sometime. "Pretty much."

Anduin's expression grew serious. He walked to the window, looking out over his kingdom. "I can't believe I'm talking to my future wife about having a baby. I don't feel old enough. It's surreal." He sighed. "I wish father were still here."

Kia joined Anduin at the window, wrapping her arms around him supportingly. "I miss him, too, but I know he'd be proud of you. He was before he died. You could see it in his eyes when he thought no one else was watching. I was watching."

They stood quietly, looking out the window. Just when he thought he couldn't love Kia any more, she'd say something like that and his love would reach a new level.

"You're trembling. What's wrong?" He asked, looking into Kia's eyes. "Are you nervous?"

"A little." She admitted, pulling away from Anduin, so she could pace across the room. She hadn't realized she was actually shaking enough to be noticeable.

"I'm the one who's supposed to be nervous."

Kia scoffed. "You're a born diplomat. You've been speaking in front of crowds your whole life. This kind of stuff doesn't make you nervous anymore."

"True, but I've never announced my own engagement before. I'm slightly nervous. I don't understand why you are. You don't get nervous."

Kia sighed, looking down. "I don't get nervous when my own feelings and wellbeing are the only ones at stake. But this is you. I don't want the people to turn on you, just because of me. What if the people don't like me? What if they reject me as their queen?"

"They already love you, Ki. They'll love you even more as their queen. Trust me."

Kia didn't really believe him, but their conversation was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Your Majesty, it's time." Genn Greymane said, opening the door just a crack at first, not wanting to interrupt too suddenly. The older man stepped into the chambers. He was also dressed like a king, but he had a regal air to him, something you only got with age.

Anduin nodded, taking Kia's hand and kissing it gently. "It'll be alright."

Kia nodded agreement, then followed Anduin out the door. Genn gave her a reassuring smile as they passed, no doubt he had heard some of their conversation, having worgan hearing.

Anduin believed everything would be alright. They were about to find out.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	33. Chapter 33

New Chapter ready to read. Thanks for reading and special thanks to those who review. :)

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Kia followed Anduin outside, to the place where most of the city was gathered to hear the king speak. She stood off to his side, trying her best to at least look calm. She honestly didn't hear much of the speech, but she did hear the reactions of the crowd. They cheered here and there, obviously fully drawn into what their king had to say. He had always been good at gaining love and support through words. The people loved him as their prince and they loved him even more as their king.

Kia couldn't wrap her head around why she was so nervous. Maybe it was because, for the first time, what happened next was completely and totally out of her control. She didn't like the feeling, but she trusted Anduin. Everything was going to be alright. She was pulled out of her musings when Anduin finished his speech and began his announcement. This was it.

"And finally, I'd like to take this opportunity to officially announce my engagement to Lady Kia Stormrage." Anduin held his hand out to Kia and she took it, allowing him to guide her to stand next to him.

The crowd was stunned for a moment, then, to Kia's relief, began to cheer. Anduin leaned in a kissed her on the cheek.

"I told you so." He said softly in her ear.

The rest of the day was spent mingling with the people of Stormwind. There were many congratulations passed around and no objections, though Kia doubted anyone would have the courage to voice their objections to the king directly. Anduin may have been far more even tempered than his father, but you still didn't argue with decisions made by the king, regardless of temperament.

Kia was fine with that. Let people talk all they wanted, as long as she didn't hear it. It was the same policy she had about her physical appearance. There would always be someone who didn't like what she was or what she did. Such was the journey for those who are different.

In late evening, Kia left Anduin at the cathedral, where he was attending a special Remembrance Day service, to change into more comfortable clothes and meet up with Quinn and Lantash for an evening hunt. She had honestly had enough of the crowds. Anduin seemed to sense her need and only wished her a safe hunt before entering the cathedral.

She had just finished changing and was silently reading as she waited for Lantash to return to the city from his day of hunting over Iron Forge, when the horns of Stormwind sounded. The horns were normally used to alert the city of an attack. Kia exchanged looks with Quinn, then grabbed her sword and her bow, shifted to a stormcrow, and flew out the window towards the cathedral. Quinn headed out the door at a full run to follow.

Kia could see Anduin and his generals massing in the courtyard, landing a few feet from them. She rushed over, placing a hand on Anduin's arm.

"What's happening?" She asked, getting a concerned look from Anduin.

"There's a portal forming just outside of Goldshire. It's the Legion. Everyone capable of fighting is massing just outside the gates. We'll be marching to Goldshire momentarily."

"I'll go help rally the druids." Kia said, turning to leave, but Anduin grabbed her arm.

"No. You should…"

Kia scowled at him. "You're not about to say that I should stay here, are you?"

"I need you safe." He said, quietly, stepping closer to her. Kia could see the worry in his eyes. She was the only family he had left and he didn't want to lose her. He looked so young in that moment.

"Anduin, I'm a skilled ranger and a fully training druid. I'm going to fight." She replied. She wasn't asking.

With a sigh, Anduin pulled her into a hug. "Just be careful. I've waited a long time to marry you. I can't lose you, now that it's actually going to happen."

She hugged him back. "You be careful too. The city needs its king." She pulled back and looked him in the eye. "And so do I."

With a quick kiss, Kia changed back into a stormcrow and flew towards Sheldras's cottage at the edge of the city. When she arrived, she found over three dozen druids, both night elves and worgens. She landed next to Sheldras. He seemed surprised to see her.

"My lady. I didn't think you'd be…"

Kia rolled her eyes. "Not you too. Get engaged to a king and suddenly everyone thinks you're an invalid. This is my home and I plan to stand with my king, my fellow druids and everyone else brave enough to fight for Stormwind, regardless of what's coming."

The elder druid simply nodded, turning to address everyone. He knew better than try to argue with Kia.

"Attention druids." They all calmed down and stood quietly. "These portals have a defined way about them. They start with small demons and gradually evolve to lesser demons, then finally a greater demon will come through. The portal is directly tied to the lifeforce of the greater demon. The portal will remain open as long as it lives. Do your best to keep the demons from reaching Stormwind, but once the greater demon shows itself, concentrate on killing it. That portal will not stop dropping demons at our doorstep until the greater demon is dead."

Everyone seemed to acknowledge his words. Unfortunately, dealing with these portals was starting to become almost commonplace. Almost every druid in attendance had probably fought against the demons from one of the cursed portals before.

"Now, to the gate! Rally to your king!" Sheldras shouted, changing into a stormcrow. All the other druids followed suit and the mass of nearly three dozen druids flew to the gates of Stormwind. They were joined in the air by a multitude of gryphons, rode by mainly dwarves, but also a few humans. They all landed at the gate, just to the right of the king.

This was not how this day was supposed to end.

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To Be Continued...


	34. Chapter 34

Let the battle begin! New Chapter up. Enjoy

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Anduin stood at the front of his small army. Being Remembrance Day, the fighting force at his back was far larger and more diverse than it would normally be, considering so many had descended on the city for the occasion. There were significantly more of the other Alliance races. He watched as three dozen stormcrows landed to his right. He recognized Kia almost immediately, since her stormcrow looked just slightly different than the others. Hers was like a combination of a night elf and a gilnean.

He took a calming breath. He hated that Kia was fighting by his side, since he wanted nothing more than to keep her safe, but he didn't have the heart to force her to stay behind. Not that she would listen if he had commanded her to stay in the castle. She was a fighter, always has been, always will be, queen or no queen. Anduin would never try to change her, no matter how much he might want to.

"On to Goldshire." He yelled, spurring his horse.

Everyone moved with him, those capable of flight, flying ahead.

"Please be safe." He said quietly to himself as he watched Kia fly ahead with the other druids.

XXX

Kia flew with the other druids towards Goldshire. She took a glancing view at Anduin as she flew ahead.

"Please be safe." She said in her head.

It took only a few minutes to arrive at the battle. There were dozens of smaller demons attacking the few soldiers based in Goldshire. They were doing their best, but the soldiers and the townsfolk were hopelessly outnumbered and on the verge of being overwhelmed.

Kia landing in a tree with a good vantage, changing back into herself. She pulled her bow out and began to fire on the demons. Even though she was a fully trained druid and could fight with magic fairly effectively, she was still far better with a bow. She did her best to even the odds for the soldiers who had multiple demons bearing down on them.

After a few minutes, the king and his mounted soldiers arrived and entered the fray. The battle was intense, but the warriors of Stormwind were doing well.

Suddenly, there was a loud roar and lesser demons began to pour out of the portal. The soldiers formed ranks, then charged at the new threat.

Kia continued to shoot demons from the tree, until her efforts were noticed by a handful of the lesser demons. They were smarter than the initial wave and were able to knock down the tree where she was perched.

Kia did a back flip, landing on her feet before the tree fell. She took a half dozen more shots with her bow as the demons charged her, then placed it on her back, opting for her sword. She pulled the blade apart, taking a blade in each hand in a defensive stance.

The demons nearly tackled her, but she was ready, the first demon falling quickly from a sword to the head from her right hand, while the second had a similar fate from the sword in her left. With a flip backwards, she took out two more with precise strikes with both swords. The remaining two were taken out by a familiar figure.

"You alright, Ki?" Asked Rell as he gracefully landed near where she stood. His armor was smoking slightly where demon blood had splashed on him. Fortunately, most armor was woven or forged with magic to protect against the acidic nature of demon blood. It did nothing for the skin, but as long as a warrior kept mostly covered, they could fight with less fear of getting burned.

"I'm very thankful for your training, at the moment. You?" She replied, returning to a defensive stance in preparation of the next wave.

"All in a day's work. Most of SI:7 is picking off the demons who break free of the melee and get too close to Stormwind." Rell looked towards the portal. "I never thought I'd say this, but I really hope the cursed greater demon shows its ugly face soon. I'm not sure how long we can hold off. We can't close that portal until we kill it."

"I've called for Lantash, but he was off towards Ironforge for the day, since he's not fond of large crowds. He's flying here as fast as he can. We could really use his help."

More demons approached them and they took the creatures down swiftly. They both pressed forward, joining the fray a little more completely. Kia had a feeling Rell was being ordered to keep an eye on her. Kia didn't mind. He was fighting demons, regardless of where he was in relation to his former student.

They fought for what felt like hours, as more and more demons arrived through the portal. There was little else to do but keep fighting. If they didn't, Stormwind would be overrun and all the people currently hiding within its gates would be slaughtered.

Suddenly, with an even louder roar and a rumbling of the ground, the greater demon walked through the portal. This one looked like a draenei, only much, much bigger. Its eyes burned with fire, which it spewed out towards the soldiers below. Most got out of the way, but several were incinerated by the fire.

"Hurry. We could really use you right about now." Kia said to Lantash in her head, as she stared up at the greater demon.

"I'm almost there. Stay strong, my friend." He replied back.

The dragon was close, but it would still be several minutes before he got there. If Kia waited, it would be too late. The masses of soldiers and magic users descended on the greater demon, slowing wearing it down, but it was walking closer and closer to Stormwind.

Kia came up with a plan. It was a terrible plan, but it might just buy them enough time for Lantash to arrive. The dragon was reasonably close in size to the demon and his hide was impervious to demon fire. She took a calming breath, sheathing her weapons and changing into a stormcrow. She flew off before Rell could stop her.

The demon was halfway to Stormwind. The troops were hurting the creature, but the thing was determined to reach the city. It was obvious this portal had been meant to destroy the heart of the Alliance and end the line of Wrynn in the process.

Kia flew high above the demon, then shifted into her sabercat form. She fell along the demon's back, catching herself with her claws just below its neck, between its shoulder blades.

The demon roared in pain, though Kia's claws didn't penetrate far enough to draw blood. Her position was just out of its reach, so it soon disregarded her presence and continued its slow march to the city.

Kia shifted back to her bipedal form, catching herself on one of the small wounds her claws had created. Hanging by one arm, she pulled her sword out of its sheath and plunged it into its back, doing her best to get out of the way of the torrent of blood that began to run down the demon. A few drops splashed her just above her neckline and she hurriedly wiped them away with her free arm, cursing as they burned her skin.

Hanging from it's back, Kia momentarily questioned her own sanity, then leapt up, balancing on her sword still firmly stuck in the demon. She pulled out her bow, aiming for the tender spot at the back of the demon's neck. She did everything she could to steady her balance, bracing herself with one leg on her sword and the other on the demon's shoulder blade.

"Light let this work…" She said to herself as she released a bolt straight into the demon at point blank range.

The demon roared, shaking to dislodge the offensive being off it's back, its move towards the city paused. The bolt made a fairly significant wound, but it wasn't a killing blow by any means.

Kia didn't hesitate, taking several more shots into the demon's neck. She got in a good half dozen hits before the demon managed to snag her by the right arm.

Kia felt agonizing pain and a slight pop as the demon crushed her right arm and pulled her shoulder out of joint. It only held her for a moment before tossing her aside, where she hit a tree going bone crushingly fast, then lay motionless.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	35. Chapter 35

New chapter up. Enjoy! And many thanks for reading.

* * *

Lantash heard Kia scream out in pain in his mind, then her mind went silent. She was either unconscious or dead, he could not tell which.

Lantash roared in fury as he approached the battle at full speed. The demon was seriously injured, a gaping wound on the back of its neck bleeding freely, along with several other large gashes along its legs and sides. The thing was now only mere meters away from the gates of Stormwind, but his pace had decreased significantly by its injuries.

Lantash built up speed, bracing himself and collided with the demon going as fast as he could. He was about two thirds the size of the demon, but he was going fast enough to knock it backwards, it's fall slow enough to allow the soldiers behind it to get out of the way before it hit the ground. It only lay still for a moment before trying to get back to its feet.

Lantash circled back and landed a few feet from its head. The demon looked upon the mighty dragon, preparing to spew fire, but Lantash launched his own fiery attack first. His intense white/blue fire hit the demon in the face, igniting its blood. Even though the demon's skin was impervious to dragon fire, its blood was highly combustible. Around the demon, magic users and archers took advantage of the demon's prone state and fired at point blank range.

With a blood curdling scream, the creature rolled around for a few minutes in agony, then disintegrated into nothing and the portal closed.

The soldiers continued to fight against the remaining demons, but with the portal closed, they were able to eventually get the upper hand and kill every last demon. They had stopped the attack mere feet from the city.

Lantash looked around the decimated forest, looking for Kia. He couldn't sense her anymore. After a few minutes, he found Rell and another night elf near a large tree, where Kia lay motionless. Rell had Kia's bow and sword in his hand, the sword's blade still black and slick with demon blood.

The dragon crept slowly towards her, doing his best not to step on anyone. He laid his bulk down on the ground, so his head was only about a foot away from his fallen friend. Rel looked over at the dragon, placing a gentle hand on his snout. They both looked on helplessly as Sheldras knelt by Kia.

* * *

Anduin walked among the injured, healing as he went along. The most heavily injured had been portaled back to Stormwind, but those still capable of walking were being healed in the field.

As much as the king loved that he could help heal the injured, he didn't want to be here. He wanted to be back in Stormwind with Kia. She had been very seriously injured and though he had been assured by Sheldras that she would survive her injuries, Anduin still longed to be at her side. He needed to see she was alright for himself, with his own eyes.

He had seen her land on the demon and attack, but he had also seen her get thrown across the forest. It took everything in his power to continue to fight and not run to her.

Rodrick came up the Anduin, standing at attention.

"You've done enough, your Majesty. There are enough healers from Stormwind and Ironforge now. They can take care of the rest of the injured. Go back to Stormwind and check up on Kia."

Anduin shook his head. "The king's place is here." he said, though he didn't sound very convincing.

"Maybe." Rodrick said. "But the king's place is also by the side of the woman he loves. You've done all you can. Go to her."

Anduin sighed and nodded, turning to where Quinn was waiting for him. The cat had stayed behind when Kia was moved, to help keep an eye on the king. The cat had battled by Anduin's side, considering it was difficult to stay with Kia in her stormcrow form.

"You ready to see Ki?" Anduin asked Quinn, running his hand along her side. The sabercat was dirty and had a few burns along her neck. He quickly healed the burns for her, causing her to mew appreciatively.

Quinn then roared, lowering herself slightly so Anduin could climb onto her back She wasn't wearing a saddle, but this wasn't the first time Anduin had road the sabercat bareback. They sped off towards the city at full speed. Anduin had to admit, it was fun riding a sabercat. The gate of their movements were smoother and more graceful than any horse.

They raced by the citizens of Stormwind. The people acknowledged their king, but his mind was focused on getting to Kia.

Quinn stopped just outside of the infirmary, once again crouching down so Anduin could slide off her back. He didn't even pause as he quickly walked inside.

There were hundreds of injured, but it could have been so much worse. If the demon had managed to reach Stormwind, there would be countless innocent deaths of men, women and children. Those behind the gate who were too young, old or inexperienced to fight. They had been lucky.

Anduin scanned the crowd and found Kia sitting on a cot near the back. A priest was carefully healing her right arm, but Kia didn't look happy about it.

"Will you stop. I'm fine." Kia said, trying to pull away from the priest.

"You are not fine, my lady." The priest said in an exasperated tone as he tightened his grip on her arm. Kia was actually too weak to fight back. "Your arm was shattered, your shoulder was pulled out of its socket and you broke most of her ribs. Please remain still. I'm almost done." He said firmly.

Kia sighed, closing her eyes as a wave of exhaustion hit her.

"I've got her from here."

Kia's eyes shot open and she looked up at Anduin. They were both covered in dirt, sweat and worse, but that didn't matter. Kia leap into his arms and hugged him as hard as her weakened state would allow. Anduin hugged her back just as hard, being mindful of the fact she was still recovering from serious injury.

"Thank the Light." Anduin said, relief in his voice. "I was so worried." He pulled away from her, kissing her gently, then returning to the hug. "Promise me you'll never do that to me again."

Kia chuckled. "I'll do my best to never to take on a greater demon again, but no promises."

They held each other as if there were alone and not in the middle of an infirmary full of people.

* * *

Neither of them noticed the infirmary had gotten very quiet. Even the moans of the injured stopped as everyone watched their king and future queen.

Truth be told, when Anduin made the announcement of their engagement, many believed the marriage was some sort of arranged agreement between the night elves and the humans. That they were getting married for political reasons. At that moment, everyone in the infirmary knew better. No one could deny the love they saw between them as they embraced, without care of who might be watching. They also couldn't doubt that Kia would make a good queen. Any woman willing to risk her own life to defend the city was more than qualified for the position.

Attros watched the encounter from the side. He had gone out to fight, having sustained a few burns. Helena had stayed behind the gates and had joined Attros when he returned to be healed. Attros looked over at his wife, seeing the jealous look in her eye as the king and his future queen had their moment. He couldn't help but think the battle had been an example of the exact reason Helana's proposal to the king to marry prince Anduin had been rejected. The king needed someone by his side willing to fight and die for the city and all the people in it. Helana would've never fix that description.

Kia, on the other hand, would make an amazing queen.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	36. Chapter 36

I'm on a roll now! Another chapter up. Thanks for reading.

* * *

Kia walked slowly through the ruined forest around Stormwind, along with a few dozen other druids, allowing their magic to remove the impurities left behind by the demons and heal the land. Demon blood was poison and it took powerful magic to scrub it from the earth, preventing permanent damage.

It had been almost a week since the attack and, rather than sit with Anduin as he discussed the situation with the other leaders of the Alliance, Kia opted to join the other druids working their magic around Goldshire. She was still weakened by her injuries sustained in the battle, though she was fully healed, thanks to Anduin's powerful connection to the Light. The other healers had done a good job, but Anduin insisted on double checking their work. The Light could repair the damage, but it would still take time to regain strength.

Kia had been lucky and she knew it. The maneuver she performed was dangerous and insane, but it worked, though she'd have to be more careful in the future. She was destined to be the queen and it would kill Anduin if he lost her, particularly to the same enemy who had claimed his father's life.

"How are you feeling, your Highness?" Asked one of the night elf druids who worked his magic directly to her left. Helo had studied to become a druid under Malfurion and was one of her father's most talented students. Kia had grown up watching him learn to use his druidic powers. They had been friends most of her life.

"I'm fine, Helo." She stopped and turned to him. "I'm guessing my father tasked you with looking out for me."

Helo chuckled and nodded. "Both your parents, your betrothed and Rell, actually. I offered to keep an eye on you, as well. I watched you grow up, Kia. You're a sister to me, in every way but blood."

Kia smiled at the young night elf. Helo looked quite a bit like Rell, though his frame was slightly more bulky.

"Well, in that case, I'll forgive you. I don't like being watched." She scoffed. "I guess that's something I'll need to get used to."

"If you're going to be the human's queen, I'd imagine so. Are you sure you've thought all this through? I'm sure you love the king, but are you really prepared for the job this particular title holds?" Helo turned, putting his hands up in the air towards Kia. "Not that I don't think you're up to the task, of course."

Kia was silent for a moment as they continued to walk through the woods, deep in thought. Helo walked quietly beside her.

"Trust me, I've thought this through. Anduin and I have been together for far longer than the announcement he made on Remembrance Day. I used to fight him on the topic, telling him he should forget me and find a human queen, but Anduin is as stubborn as his father. He loves me and damned if I don't love him just as much."

Helo nodded. "Then consider the topic closed."

They reached the edge of Goldshire and turned east. Kia couldn't help but wonder if Helo's inquiries were really his own, or if her parents might have put the young night elf up to the interrogation. She'd need to ask, when she returned to the castle.

After another hour or so, Kia was beginning to feel the strain of continuous magic use and left Helo and the other druids to continue with their task, opting to return to the castle before she overexerted herself. It would only worry Anduin and he certainly didn't need any more worries, at the moment.

* * *

Very late that night, Anduin returned to his chambers looking more tired than Kia felt.

Kia didn't say a word, only went up to him and wrapped him into a supportive hug. He hugged her back with a relieved sigh.

"You have no idea how nice it is to come back to my chambers and have you here. No more sneaking around or using secret passages."

"Well, soon enough, we'll be officially moving to the royal chambers. Not sure if they have secret passages or not."

"They do. Almost all the rooms on this side of the castle have emergency entrances and exits. At least all rooms meant to be used by the royal family."

Kia returned to her seat at the desk, where she had been writing in a journal. Anduin leaned up against the side of the desk.

"The secret passages are the least of our worries. We need to actually find time to get married. It's hard to think about something happy with all this chaos going around." Kia said, closing her journal and resting her head on Anduin's side.

Anduin actually chuckled, placing a gentle hand on her head. "Our wedding was actually one of the big items on tonight's agenda with the other leaders."

Kia lifted her head and frowned. "You were talking about our wedding without me?"

Anduin gave her a reassuring smile. "It wasn't anything like that. We weren't talking about the wedding itself, we were just discussing my involvement with the ongoing war against the legion and the coming battles to stop them for good." He stood and took a few steps. "And how, as much as I should be there as the high king, I can't be, since I'm the last of my line and none of the other leaders want to risk my death. They're all afraid the legion will be aiming for me, to end the Wrynn line."

Anduin walked over to the balcony and sat at a small couch just outside the door. Kia followed and sat next to him.

"All the other leaders agree that I need to remain here, to do what I do best, which is to unite people of all factions. Our wedding will serve to strengthen the bond between the humans and the night elves, as will our future children. Everyone seems very anxious for all of it to happen."

Kia sighed very loudly. "I'm so glad everyone is so focused about OUR wedding and OUR children."

Anduin wrapped his arm are Kia. "I know everything's happening very fast. I wish things were different."

"It's not the pace that bothers me. I just feel so out of control, like my life is happening, but I'm just a spectator watching as it passes from the outside." She looked up into Anduin's worried blue eyes. "I'm ready to marry you and I'm ready to have children with you. I'm just not ready to have everyone else be so involved with those two activities."

Anduin smiled down at her. "Well, as of right now, I'm all yours. The other leaders and I have agreed on a course of action as it pertains to the war, so you and I can take some time to plan our wedding. Oh, I almost forgot. Wait here."

Kia gave Anduin a confused look, but nodded. A few moments later, he returned carrying a small wooden box. It was shaped like a miniature chest, intricately engraved. Anduin knelt down before her. "I know it's not customary for night elves to exchange rings, but…" He opened the box. Inside here two golden rings. One was a simple solid gold and the other contained three diamonds. "These were my mother's. We'll probably need to have them resized, but I'd very much like for you to have them."

Kia looked first at Anduin, then the rings, then back up at Anduin. She placed a gentle hand on his cheek. "I think sometimes you forget that I'm just as much human as night elf. Of course I'll wear them."

Anduin took the ring with the diamonds out of the box, setting the other ring aside. He took Kia's hand and slipped the ring on her finger. "Let's see how it fits. I have a jewelcrafter waiting to fix the size."

The ring fit perfectly.

"Or maybe we won't need to." Anduin said, kissing Kia's hand. "How does it feel."

Kia chuckled. "Like it was made to fit on my hand."

Anduin beamed at Kia, pulling her to stand with him. He hugged her, secretly taking this as a sign that Kia was meant to be his wife.

"I've already spoken to Genn. He's agreed to sit on the throne in my sted after we're married, so we can take some time together. It feels wrong to leave in the middle of a war, considering all Wrynn kings have been on the front lines for them, but our lives can't stop, just because of it. We'll go somewhere quiet and spend some time alone."

The news seemed to cheer Kia up. She returned Anduin's smile. "I guess the children part of the plan will happen faster if we're allowed to be alone and not stressed out."

"Exactly!" Anduin said, taking Kia's hand. "And, there is nothing stopping us from starting early. Practice makes perfect and all that."

Kia laughed, following Anduin back into the chamber. One moment he was sweet and romantic, the next, he bowed down to his more basic needs. It was sometimes easy to forget Anduin was just barely out of his adolescence. Her future husband could be such a male, sometimes, but Kia loved him anyway.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	37. Chapter 37

Quick new chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Kia walked casually through the streets of Stormwind, deep in thought. She barely even registered the two guards following her around at a nice safe distance. Anduin had insisted she have guards and Kia didn't bother to argue. If having a protection detail gave Anduin peace of mind, then it was worth the invasion of privacy.

Just outside the main keep, Kia stopped, feeling like she was being watched. She turned her head slowly to her right and eyed two demon hunters who were stationed in the courtyard. They were both looking at her, not unfriendly, more knowingly. Somehow, she knew they could sense who she was in relation to their fallen leader.

Kia hurried into the keep and towards her chambers.

She had never actually met Illidan, of course. She was born well after his time and her father had intentionally chosen to keep her ignorant about his twin brother. Kia understood, but with the demon hunters around Stormwind, it was hard not to think about her uncle.

* * *

Anduin was enjoying the task of preparing the cathedral of his wedding. It was nice to be a part of planning a happy event, for a change. The other leaders of the Alliance had returned to their various territories, to put their plan of action against the legion into effect. Sometimes it felt wrong to be worrying about a wedding when the whole world was in the throws of war, but he wasn't about to stop living just because of it. Kia deserved better.

When he returned to the keep for dinner, he found Kia sitting quietly by the fire, gazing into it as if in a trance. He knelt beside her and place a hand softly on her arm. She jumped slightly, obviously not even seeing his approach.

"Anduin. I didn't see you come in. I was just…"

He smiled at her. "Totally lost in thought."

Kia blushed, but nodded.

"You're not worrying about the wedding?" He asked.

"No." Kia sighed, standing. "It's something else."

Anduin stood with her and watched as she walked over to the window, looking out over the city.

"It's the demon hunters…"

"Have then done something to you?" Anduin asked, rushing over to her side.

"No, no. It's nothing like that. When I pass them in the street, it just feels like they're watching me. Like they can sense who I am. It's a little...unsettling."

Anduin nodded. He understood what she was saying. The demon hunters, though they had proved their allegiance to the Alliance and its king, did take some getting used to. Demons were on the exact opposite of the spectrum from the Light and Anduin felt their presence acutely too.

"I'm sorry if they make you uncomfortable, Kia. Honestly, they probably do sense who you are and where your blood comes from. They're here to help but I can…"

Kia stopped Anduin. "It's alright. I know they're here for a reason and you can't send them away. This is my issue, not theirs, and I'll be alright."

Anduin looked at her sympathetically. "Are you sure? I could ask them to keep their distance from you."

"Not necessary. I'll get used to them, eventually. Don't worry about it." She kissed Anduin on the cheek, then headed to the table, taking a seat. Anduin followed behind her, doing the same. "How is the cathedral coming along?" Kia asked, changing the subject.

"By this weekend, it will be the most beautiful place for a wedding you have ever seen and the garden will be a close second."

Kia smiled at him. "I still can't wrap my head around us getting married this weekend."

The plan was to have their wedding in the cathedral, then move to the gardens with a handful of others, mainly night elves considered family to Kia and a handful of other Alliance leaders, for a quiet night elf ceremony, just as the sun is setting.

Neither of them wanted to admit it to the other, but they were both nervous. Both eager to be together officially, but terrified at the same time.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	38. Chapter 38

Exciting new chapter up. Thanks for reading. Enjoy

* * *

Kia was pretty sure she was dreaming.

She seemed to be in some kind of darkened chamber, with brazers on either side, their fire causing the light and shadows in the chamber to dance around wildly. The air was damp and warm, but not unpleasant, even considering the dreary setting. In the center of the chamber was a large stone throne and seating in the throne was someone she had never seen or met, but she knew who he was.

Illidan.

He looked on her, the glowing orbs behind his blindfold showing green in the dim light. In that instant, under her estranged uncle's gaze, she knew this wasn't a dream. It wasn't quite reality, either, but it was most certainly real.

"I've waited a long time to meet you, child." He said. "Please, come closer so I can sense you fully."

Kia did as he asked, for some reason, not afraid. Every fiber of her being should have been screaming for her to stay where she was, to not approach this being so closely bound to darkness, but her feet moved her closer. She stopped a few feet from the throne.

"Yes. You have our blood running through your veins."

Illidan stood and walked past Kia, circling her. He seemed to be evaluating her. His wings moved back and forth a few inches with each step, almost like a nervous tic. Besides the parts of him that had been altered by the demon blood inside him, he looked very much like her father.

"I thought you were dead." Kia said, watching him circle. Her voice sounded distant, even as she spoke the words.

"Dead...alive...those words mean little to someone such as myself."

Kia closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them, knowing she wasn't being deceived. This was Illidan. The part of him that was till a Stormrage was screaming at her so loudly, it almost made her head hurt. She could feel her own blood pulsing in her veins.

"Where are we? Anduin will notice I'm not asleep next to him."

Illidan chuckled. He smiled at her, like a father would smile at a simple question asked by his child.

"You still slumber next to your soon to be husband. You are in a dreamscape. A place of my own design. He is none the wiser, though he will sense the darkness soon." He stopped in front of her. "I see the vortex worked as I planned, though I would have preferred Tyrande to have accompanied Malfurion, rather than some human woman, but perhaps this is better. This form is better."

Kia's eyes widened. "You created the anomaly." It wasn't a question.

Illidan nodded. "I wished for our bloodline to continue and since I'm no longer viable to pass it on and my brother seemed reluctant to do so himself, I needed to take steps. You are very important, little one, more so than you'll ever realize. More so than I even planned. Fate has twisted my plan into a web even I could not have predicted. You now carry the burden of keeping two bloodlines alive. Two very important bloodlines."

"I understand." Kia said. And she did understand. The Stormrage bloodline was powerful and needed to be preserved, if the night elves were to continue to flourish, particularly with having lost their absolute immortality. And the Wrynn bloodline, it had always been powerful, but all too mortal. Always fragile. Always on the cusp of disappearing forever, but still important.

"I was worried, at first, about combining the bloodlines, but now I think they will both be strengthened. Even if no additional elvish blood is introduced, Stormrage will endure and that is what is important."

"So, the anomaly was exclusively used for me to exist. You created it, somehow, knowing it would attract Malfurion. Knowing what it would do to him."

"Yes, but it also served a second purpose. You now hold an...immunity...of sorts. Every generation to follow will have this immunity. It will linger, long after the elvish blood is diluted away. Azeroth will benefit, I think, in the long run."

"Immunity to what?" Kia asked.

Illidan smiled again. "To the dangers of this world. Not all of them, of course, but the important ones. You'll know them when they present themselves. You'll know how to use the immunity within you when the time is right."

Kia stood quietly, not sure what to say. Suddenly, she felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest. She fell to her knees. She could feel her heart pounding, but also was aware of it slowing down, as if she had two hearts that could react on their own. She could feel her body going cold, but it all felt far away.

"Unfortunately, it seems our time is done here. You will die if you stay any longer. Return to your body and push away the darkness. Your priest will know what to do." Illidan knelt by her, placing a hand on her cheek. The touch was so cold it almost burned. "Take care, Kia Stormrage. I doubt we will meet again."

The pain intensified and Kia blacked out.

* * *

Anduin woke up, feeling like something was wrong. His body ached from the injuries he sustained so many years before when he almost died at the hands of Garrosh. The pain had somehow, perhaps through his connection with the Light, morphed into an early warning system. It only troubled him when something was off, if he was following the wrong path or if danger was near. At the moment, his bones ached enough to almost double him over.

"Kia?" He said, reaching over to her where she lay quietly next to him.

When his hand touched her arm, his pain was forgotten. He sat straight up in bed, throwing the cover aside. She was cold to the touch. Kia was normally several degrees warmer than Anduin, night elves having a naturally higher body temperature than humans.

"Kia? Kia, wake up." He said, shaking her, but to no avail. She was oddly stiff, drawing only the barest of breath.

Anduin placed his hand over her heart, praying. He called to him the full power of the Light, closing his eyes and focusing on Kia's barely beating heart. He could feel a presence within her. Something dark, but not necessarily evil. Fortunately, as Anduin pushed the power of the Light into her, the darkness seemed to abandon her body without hesitation. Once the presence was gone, Kia gasped and coughed. She opened her eyes, grabbing Anduin's arm with both hands, almost painfully.

Anduin pulled her to him. "It's alright. You're alright. You're safe."

Kia clung to him. He could feel her heart racing and she was trembling. After a few moments, she began to calm down and she pulled away, just enough to look up at him, but still desperately clinging to him.

"Illidan." She said. "I was talking with Illidan."

"But he's dead, Kia." Anduin said.

"No, he's not. At least not the way we see death. I think he pulled my soul out of my body and into a dreamscape of some type. He wanted to talk to me."

Anduin thought for a moment. "I just pushed a dark entity out of your body. Something demonic."

Kia coughed several times and Anduin rubbed her back.

"A person can't live without a soul. He must have replaced mine with...something...until I returned. He said my priest would know what to do to revive me. That you would know how to pull me back." She said.

It sounded crazy, but Anduin had witnessed too many strange and unexplained things to doubt what Kia was saying.

"What did he talk to you about?" Anduin asked.

Kia held up a finger, indicating she needed a minute. She took deep breaths, trying to calm her racing heart. She rested her forehead on Anduin's chest and he waited for her to calm herself. Whatever she just went through, it was left Kia weak and shaken. He simply held her in the dark of the room, allowing her to collect herself.

Anduin could feel as her breathing evened out and slowed. She stopped trembling and she became warm to the touch. He looked down at her and smiled. She had fallen asleep. He gently placed her back down on the bed and covered her. Her tale could wait until morning.

Anduin didn't sleep at all the rest of the night. He sat awake and watched Kia breath.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	39. Chapter 39

New chapter up. For those of you looking for some Horde interaction, not to worry. It's coming very soon. Enjoy and thanks for reading.

* * *

Anduin took a cup of tea to Kia, where she sat by the fire in their chambers. Although she was once again back to a normal temperature, she was having a hard time getting warm. The ordeal from the night still lingered, but she didn't seem overly concerned or disturbed. This worried him.

After handing her the tea, he sat across from her, waiting. She had fallen asleep before she could tell him anything about what happened, other than she had met with Illidan.

"He's the reason I exist." She said quietly, almost at a whisper. She gazed at her tea, not looking to face Anduin as she spoke.

Anduin looked at her, confused. "What do you mean, he's the reason you exist?"

Kia looked over to Anduin. "Remember I told you about the anomaly, which pushed my parents together?" She said, pausing slightly. It wasn't easy for a person to talk about when they were conceived.

Anduin nodded.

"Illidan caused it. He called it a vortex. He set up the vortex somehow, so Malfurion would produce a child. A continuation of the bloodline his own body was too polluted to continue himself. He had hoped my father would have been joined by Tyrande. Me being half human was an accident."

Anduin stood and took a seat next to her. "Do you believe him? For that matter, do you think this was really Illidan?"

Kia nodded. "I know it was him. I don't know how I know, but I just know. I could feel it was him and he was telling me the truth. I can't explain it. I know I wasn't scared of him or intimidated at all. The whole experience was very odd."

"What else did he say?"

"I'm responsible for the future of two important bloodlines. Illidan had only planned on one, but then I went and fell in love with you. He also told me something strange. He said I and all my children and my children's children will now have an immunity to some of the dangers of this world."

"Immunity?" Anduin asked, concerned.

"He didn't elaborate any more than that. He said I'd know. That was it. I didn't have time to ask why he pulled me to a dreamscape or how he managed to do what he did." She put her tea aside and took Anduin's hand. "I was lucky you woke up when you did. I have a feeling I could have died."

"My bones were aching enough to wake me up." Anduind replied. "We need to tell Malfurion about this."

"No!" Kia said forcefully. "No. He'd just worry. No harm was done to me and knowing this information would probably do more harm than good. Let this sink in with me and I'll tell him and Tyrande when I'm ready."

Anduin paused, reluctant to agree with Kia's wishes, but nodded anyway. "Of course. It's your secret to tell."

He'd support Kia's decision not to tell her father, but the whole situation still troubled Him. Kia had just been pulled into an altered reality using some type of demonic magic. Perhaps the information she had learned didn't need to be conveyed, but he honestly thought the event should have been shared. Her health could still be impacted by the experience. He wouldn't fight her decision, though.

Anduin wrapped his arm around Kia's shoulders and pulling her to him. They sat for several minutes, watching the fire.

"I know the wedding is tomorrow, but if you need me to postpone it for a week or two…" Anduin said.

"No." Kia interrupted. "I'm fine. There is no good reason to postpone anything. Our guests are already arriving for the prewedding feast this evening. Honestly, I think some happy celebration is just what I need."

Anduin smiled at her. "Then happy celebration will be what you get. The dwarvish leaders have already arrived and started the celebration." He laughed.

Kia smiled genuinely at him. "Dwarves do know how to celebrate, that's for sure. It still feels odd, having whole kingdoms celebrating our wedding."

"It's something you'll need to get used to. Being royalty means every event in our lives will be shared with thousands of people."

Kia continued to smile sweetly at Anduin. "As long as I get you all to myself at night, I'm comfortable with that."

* * *

To Be Continued...


	40. Chapter 40

Sweet chapter incoming. Enjoy.

* * *

Kia stood on the balcony of the highest point of the building, looking out over Pandaria, the location of their honeymoon. It had been an easy choice to return to Pandaria to celebrate their marriage, since it was there that the couple first started seeing each other as more than just good friends, even if they didn't completely realize it at the time. The Pandarans had given their permission for the couple to stay at one of the larger residences, close the the vale of eternal blossoms. It was beautiful and peaceful, but also readily defensible. Anduin's small fleet of guards were able to ensure their safety without the guard's presence being too obvious to the newlyweds.

The wedding had gone off without a hitch. The event was large, bright and gold, outshining even Varian's marriage to Tiffin so many years before. The smaller ceremony in the keep garden was just as beautiful, only in a different way. Malfurion had called upon nature to make the garden look more like a jungle rainforest and Tyrande officiated the ceremony, as a high priestess of the moon goddess.

Through all of it, Kia seemed back to normal, her meeting with her uncle forgotten, with no obvious ill effects on her mind or body.

After both ceremonies, there was a full week of celebration before the king and his new queen left for their honeymoon. When they arrived on Pandaria, there were another few days of celebration. Anduin had made a significant positive impact on the people of Pandaria and they were very much eager to help them celebrate. Pandarians, much like dwarves, loved to have reasons to celebrate.

Anduin joined Kia on the balcony, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her gently on the neck. Kia leaned into him.

"Happy?" He asked.

Kia turned in his arms, smiling up at him. "Very." She kissed him, the kiss lingering for several seconds. "I like it here." She turned in his arms, once again looking out over the balcony. "It's peaceful."

"It's easy to forget there's a war going on." Anduin agreed. "Of course, when I'm with you, I tend to forget about everything else."

They stood quietly for several minutes, simply enjoying being together and alone. Being truly alone was something Anduin had very little of since becoming king. Being the last of a bloodline made life challenging in that way.

"Have you heard from Lantash and Quinn lately?" Anduin finally asked, breaking the silence.

Kia chuckled. "Lantash did a flyby an hour ago, while you were still asleep. According to him, both him and Quinn are enjoying the dragon hatchery. I think my dear dragon friend is learning from the more mature dragons here. Maybe he'll have grown up a bit, when we finally return home. Quinn's doing fine, as well. Apparently, the Pandaren children are keeping her entertained."

"It's good to hear they're enjoying their vacation, too." Anduin replied. He sighed deeply. "If only we could just stay here. Forget about the war and being king and just live peacefully."

Kia turned and looked at Anduin critically.

"Don't get me wrong, I know my responsibilities and I will do what I must as a ruler, but it's sometimes fun to fantasize."

Kia hugged Anduin. "You are a man of peace, being forced into the position often dictated by war."

"My life is going to be a very bumpy ride, I think." Anduin said.

Kia smiled up at her husband and kissed him quickly. "Bumpy ride or not, I'll be there with you every step of the way. You'll never travel that bumpy road alone, I promise."

"I'm counting on that promise." Anduin said. He looked out over the balcony. "Why don't we get dressed and take a walk before lunch. It's such a nice day out. It'd be a shame not to enjoy at least some time outside."

Kia shrugged. "I guess it couldn't hurt. We can't spend the entire honeymoon in bed."

Anduin guided Kia back into the room, feeling lighter than he had in a very long time, knowing Kia was by his side.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	41. Chapter 41

Just a quick chapter, before i change gears and things become interesting for our newly married royal couple.

* * *

Malfurion paced back and forth, knowing full well that Tyrande was watching him uneasily. The war with the Legion was over, but the events leading up to it bothered the Archdruid.

Honestly, Malfurion thought he'd never see Illidan again. His brother was supposed to be dead, but being contaminated with demon blood made death a little less permanent in his case. Now, Illidan had taken a place as jailor to Sargeras, destined to remain on the seat of the Pantheon for the remainder of time.

The situation with Illidan bothered Malfurion, but what bothered him more was the injury of Azeroth. The world had been severely wounded by Sargeras and Malfurion now had a very bad feeling. Tyrande had it too, but she was able to hide her uneasiness better.

"Mal, please stop." Tyrande said, standing in the Archdruid's way, so he couldn't pace. "There is little we can do but help monitor the situation. I know Greymane has sent spies to determine the extent of the damage while the king is away."

"I know, my love, but I still have a bad feeling. Events are in motion which will change this world."

Tyrande nodded. "I agree. And we will help guide Anduin and the Alliance, when the time comes."

"I just hate for Anduin and Kia to be bombarded by these new worries as soon as they return. Though, I suppose, it's the way of things. The unfortunate reality of being a king."

"He will be fine. Anduin is a good king, with good advisors. And, he has Kia in his corner. Things are changing and the coming storm will be fierce, I agree, but the Alliance will endure."

Malfurion smiled at Tyrande, taking her into his arms. "You're right, of course. What would I do without you."

* * *

Anduin paced back and forth. Kia watched him, but didn't try to stop his movement.

They had just returned from their honeymoon and, as expected, they walked into a hornets nest, even though it was a different nest than they had been expecting. The war with the Legion was officially over, thanks to the Titans and Illidan, but Sargeras final act against the planet had caused a whole new problem, which could escalate the war between the Alliance and Horde to new levels.

"Sylvanas will use the Azerite to destroy the Alliance." Anduin said. "And probably take more than half the world with us."

"My father says he's sent most of his fleet to Silithus. With any luck, he can secure the Azerite before too much gets into her hands." Kia stood in front of Anduin, placing her hands on his cheeks. "You'll figure this one out. And remember, I'm on this bumpy road with you." She kissed him quickly.

Anduin pulled her into a hug. "I know you are." He sighed. "I'm going to miss you."

Kia chuckled against his chest. "Miss me? We just spent the last three months totally alone together. You're not tired of me, yet?"

"I'll never be tired of you." Anduin replied.

Kia pulled back and looked at Anduin. "I'll only be in Darnassus for a week. Maybe two. Now that we're officially married, there are a few things I need to take care of among the night elves before I become a permanent fixture to Stormwind. I'm sure you can survive without me for that long."

"I can survive, yes, I just don't want to." Anduin replied, but his voice was light. Kia knew he was just giving her a hard time for fun. "I like having my queen here with me."

"After this visit, I'll probably stay here with you most of the time. You'll be fine. Just make sure Quinn and Lantash don't get into trouble while I'm gone." Kia pulled away from Anduin and looked at Quinn, who was lounging near the open balcony door in their chambers.

"I'll behave..." She said. "...but, I refuse to take any responsibility for Lantash."

"Quinn says she'll behave, of course, but she's not taking any responsibility for Lantash. I think they're not speaking to each other, at the moment." Kia translated. "He's going through some type of juvenile phase, I think. He spent too much time around young dragons at the hatchery. I think he might have taught them some bad habits."

"My fur is still growing back from that joke he got the one dragon cub to play on me." Quinn said, looking away. "Stupid fire breathing devils." She mumbled.

Kia translated and Anduin knelt down by Quinn, scratching behind her ear. "Don't worry my friend. You can hangout with me while Kia's gone. You don't need to even see Lantash."

Kia smiled happily, watching them interact. They would be fine while she was gone. And speaking or not, Lantash would keep both Quinn and Anduin safe if need arises. Kia felt secure that everyone she was leaving in Stormwind would be safe until she returned. She was only going to be gone a couple of weeks, anyway. What could happen?

* * *

To Be Continued...

What could happen, indeed?


	42. Chapter 42

New Chapter up. Some of you have asked for more Horde in this story. Well, he you go. Enjoy.

* * *

Baine Bloodhoof was not happy. Sylvanas may have been his new warchief and he was honorbound to follow her lead, but she continued to go further and further down a road he wasn't comfortable following. Trying to take the night elves land was one thing, burning down Teldrassil was something entirely different. The act was cowardly and dishonorable and went against everything his people believed when it came to preserving the land they lived on. The Banshee Queen was getting closer and closer to going too far.

Baine walked among his people, noting most of his braves weren't celebrating. They weren't enjoying the Horde's victory, since it didn't feel much like one. Many of the druids and shaman were almost openly mourning the destruction they had played a part in causing. Though not magical in that sense, Baine felt the ache too. A terrible thing had happened and they were responsible for it, at least in part.

A young shaman ran up to Baine and bowed respectfully. "Chieftain, Vera has found something you need to see."

"Take me to her, Torian." Baine said with a nod.

The two tauren hurried deeper into the forest, away from the army. The forest was oddly quiet and the air was heavy with the scent of smoke, fire and things other than trees burning. In a secluded spot, Bane found Vera kneeling next to the still form of a night elf. Or, at least, Baine thought it was a night elf, but as he got closer, he noticed the form wasn't big enough to be an elf, though it was colored like one. It was female and looked almost human.

"Vera, who is…" Bane began, but then he saw the figure's face and gasped. "Kia Stormrage?" He said, slight disbelief in his voice. He had seen the Archdruid's daughter only once, but he felt like he knew her personally, from hearing about her friendship with his cousin.

Vera nodded. "I saw what looked like a druid fall from the sky. She must have been in Darnassus when Teldrassil was ignited."

"Is she dead?" He asked, since he could not tell in the failing light if she was breathing and she certainly wasn't moving.

"No. She's alive, barely." Vera looked up at her cousin. "We need to help her, Baine. She's my friend and…" she paused, looking to see there was no one else around to overhear. "...her name isn't Stormrage anymore. It's Wrynn."

"Queen." Baine whispered, taking a closer look at the tiny and fragile form before him. This wasn't just some night elf prisoner of war. She was Anduin Wrynn's wife. The Queen of Stormwind.

"We can't give her to Sylvanas, Baine." Vera whispered. "She'd…"

Baine sighed. "She'd do worse than kill her." Baine snorted. "I once considered Anduin Wrynn a friend."

The two tauren knelt quietly for a moment, the shaman, Torian, standing a few paces away, looking out towards the direction of the tauren army. They were still very much alone.

Baine stood, shaking his massive head, as if to clear it of thoughts. If he handed Kia over to Sylvanas, her fate would be worse than death. The Banshee queen would torment her, use her to chip away at the young king's psyche. The king's and Malfurion's. This was also the Archdruid's daughter. The elder night elf had survived the attack, much to the warchief's disappointment, and his daughter's capture would torment him, as well. In the end, Sylvanas would turn her into a forsaken and, though they were allies, Baine wouldn't wish that fate on anyone. Friend or foe.

"Use your emergency hearthstone and get her to safety." He looked over at the young shaman. "You go with them. Tend to the elf's injuries. And Torian…" Baine placed a hand on the smaller tauren's shoulder. "...this must be kept a secret, between us three and no others. Do you understand?"

Torian nodded. "Yes, Chieftain."

Baine stepped back, watching as Vera took a small stone out of her belt. The rune carved on the white stone was bright red. Normally, the rune was blue, signifying a destination for home, which was Thunder Bluff. No, this stone would take them somewhere else. Somewhere much more secure and secret. With a slight flash, they disappeared, leaving Baine standing alone.

Baine turned to return to his army, feeling, for the first time that day, that he had done the right thing.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	43. Chapter 43

Sorry it took so long. New chapter up. Enjoy and thanks for readying.

* * *

Anduin sat quietly on his throne, alone and numb.

It had been the middle of the night when the portal from Darnassus had opened and refugees started pouring through. Anduin could barely believe the night elves were fleeing for their lives from a burning home. The Horde had attacked and, somehow, Sylvanas had managed to set the whole of Teldrassil on fire. Anduin had a fairly good theory as to how she managed it.

About an hour later, Tyrande had arrived with a seriously wounded Malfurion. Anduin, who had been helping to heal the night elf refugees who were suffering mainly from burns and smoke inhalation, had healed his father in law, himself. Unfortunately, no one knew what had happened to his queen, other than she had been in Darnassus helping with the evacuation.

Kia had stayed in Darnassus when the battle across the ocean started, having been convinced by her father and mother that the battlefield was no place for a newly crowned queen who was in the process of trying to get pregnant. If only they had known Sylvanas would actually use the azerite to burn down Teldrassil.

Anduin wanted to contact every Alliance city and base on Kalimdor, but he knew he needed to keep Kia's missing status a secret. If the Horde got wind that the high king's new queen was missing, possibly dead, they would only rally to attack while he was vulnerable. For the sake of the Alliance, he could not look vulnerable.

Anduin was only alone for a few minutes when the door opened and Tyrande walked in. The moon goddess still looked calm and regal, but something about the way she carried herself implied she was more troubled than she appeared.

"How is Malfurion?" Anduin asked, genuinely concerned for his father in law. Besides being family, the Archdruid was one of the most powerful being on the planet. Having him so close to death had left Anduin slightly shaken.

"Resting comfortably, thanks to you, your Majesty. He would be dead now, if Saurfang had done as Sylvanas commanded and finished him off. The orc considered Sylvanas's actions as cowardly and dishonorable. Their warchief could not have defeated Malfurion in a fair fight and she knew it."

Anduin could detect a tiny bit of anger in the normally calm night elf's voice, and rightfully so, considering she almost lost her husband.

"At least we have some good news." He replied. "Anything about Kia yet?"

Tyrande bowed her head. "Not yet. I've been quietly searching all the obvious places she might have fled to, but there is nothing." She looked up at Anduin with hope in her eyes. "Kia's smart and resourceful, Anduin. There is still hope."

Anduin nodded, but did not reply. He didn't trust his voice, at the moment, though he doubted Tyrande would blame him if his voice betrayed him.

* * *

It only took a few hours for the warchief to begin ordering the Horde armies to begin traveling to the Eastern Kingdom. Sylvanas wasn't stupid. She had just burned an entire capital city to the ground. She must have realized that most of the surviving night elves must have evacuated to Stormwind. Now, most of the Alliance's strength was in the Eastern Kingdom, which meant any retaliation from her actions would likely happen on the other continent. Lordaeron to be exact.

Baine and a small army of his braves were also heading to Lordaeron, but first, the chieftain needed to sort out another mess.

After ordering most of his braves to begin marching home, under the command of one of his officers, Baine slipped his red rune hearthstone from his belt and activated it, sending him to the mouth of a cave far from Darkshore. The cave was naturally hidden and had been in the Bloodhoof family for generations. This was a quiet, secure location used by his family when secrets were required and this was one hell of a secret.

Baine entered the cave to find things exactly as he remembered them from his last visit. The inside of the cave was decorated just like a comfortable home in Thunder Bluff. It was warm and well lit, with shadows from the fire bouncing off the walls. Torian was seated beside the fire, drinking from a mug and idly gazing into the fire.

"How's our guest?" Baine asked, putting up a hand to stop the younger tauren from standing and bowing. He began to remove his armor, placing out of the way by the far wall. It felt good to remove it.

"Resting comfortably. She had a few minor burns and smoke inhalation, but the reason she was unconscious was due to sheer exhaustion and the fact she crash landed while in stormcrow form. I've healed her up and she should be fine, with time. But, there's something else."

Baine eyed the shaman but nodded for him to continue.

"If my magic is correct, I think she's pregnant." He said quietly.

Baine's eyes widened. "Are you certain?"

The shaman nodded. "She's not very far along, yet. Maybe a week or two. I doubt she even knows, considering how we found her. If she knew she was pregnant, and considering who is most likely the father, she wouldn't have risked flying out of Teldrassil. There are safer options for a druid."

"Did the baby survive her injuries?"

Torian smiled. "I believe so. From what I could pick up, the fetus is healthy."

"Good. Thank you Torian. Can I rely on you to keep this quiet?"

Torian nodded. "We just burned a capital and its surrounding cities to the ground. We are contributors to attempted genocide." He said with sadness in his voice. "We're saving a life in this cave. Two lives. I will take this secret to my grave, Chieftain."

"You've done well tonight. You may return to Thunder Bluff, if you wish."

Torian shook his head. "I'm a better healer than Vera. I'll stay until she wakes up, just in case something else goes wrong."

"I thank you again, Torian."

Torian returned his gaze to the fire and Baine headed further into the cave, finding Vera sitting quietly next to bed containing Kia. She looked to almost be in a meditative trance, only looking up when she heard Baine enter, relief in her eyes.

"You made it."

Baine took a seat at the small table in the room and sighed. He'd been on his feet for days and it felt good to sit, even for a few minutes. "Sylvanas is sending everyone to Lordaeron next."

Vera snorted. "She's insane, but not stupid. She knows retaliation from this attack will come from Stormwind and Lordaeron is closest. Not to mention, it's her capital."

"And, she's not happy right now, since neither of the night elf leaders died in the attack. That was her main goal. To her, this battle was a failure, simply because the night elves survived. Our actions will do nothing but escalate this war."

Vera nodded in agreement, but said nothing. Baine knew she agreed with him. They sat quietly, both absorbing the events of the last few days. Though tauren were large and could be savage warriors, they also were gentle by nature and most found war uncomfortable. Baine and Vera were no exception. They both had acquaintances and friends from the races they were technically at war with, which made events like this one all the more difficult.

"Baine, you're exhausted. Why don't you go get some sleep. I plan to rest here, so when Kia wakes up, she'll see a friendly face. I promise to wake you when she wakes up."

The cave had several rooms designated for sleeping, this room containing two beds. Baine stood with a grone, already feeling a post battle ache in his arms and legs. He was still very young and was in good shape, but intense battles made even the most seasoned athletes sore.

He placed a supportive hand on Veras shoulder. "You get some sleep, too. It's been a long day for all of us." He then headed further into the cave to get some very much needed rest, hoping the horrors of the day wouldn't haunt his dreams.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	44. Chapter 44

Thanks to everyone reading this tale. Hope you're enjoying it.

* * *

Kia started to wake up, but didn't allow any outward signs of her changing status. She needed to figure out where she was and if she was in any danger, before allowing anyone else to know she was awake. The last thing she remembered was fleeing the doomed Teldrassil once making a final sweep to make sure everyone still alive had been evacuated.

She remembered suffering a few burns, mostly on her wings, which would translate to your arms and back. Thinking about those areas of her body, she decided someone had healed her, since she couldn't feel her injuries and she knew burns hurt. Thankfully, she actually felt pretty good. Nothing hurt at all, which was a good sign.

Next, she focused in on her surroundings. She was laying on something soft and she was covered, so she was warm, but she also noted the room as a whole seemed to be a nice, moderate temperature, which implied she was inside. Someone had obviously found her and made sure she was healed and comfortable, though she knew for sure she wasn't in her chambers and the fire hadn't been just a bad dream. She could still smell the smoke, most likely lingering on her body.

After a few minutes of contemplation, Kia decided to risk waking up. She'd need to do it eventually and it seemed she was reasonably safe, at the moment. She was far too comfortable to be a prisoner. Groaning slightly, she began to move around experimentally. She was stiff, but not sore. She opened her eyes and saw she was in some kind of room. Laying in a bed across from her was a large form. It took a few moments for Kia to recognize Vera Bloodhoof.

"Vera?" She asked softly, her voice slightly raspy, which wasn't a surprise, considering how much smoke she'd been exposed to recently.

The sleeping tauren awoke, turning her head towards the direction of her name, then sat straight up in the bed, swinging her legs around. She was standing by Kia's bed faster than one would think possible for a being of her size.

"Kia!" She said excitedly. "Thank the Earth Mother you're awake." She took Kia's hand, enveloping it entirely.

"Where am I? What happened?"

"You're safe." Vera said reassuringly. "You tried to escape Teldrassil by flying out. You got out, but you crash landed, fortunately, near the tauren army. I saw a stormcrow fall from the sky, but I didn't realize it was you. You were injured and exhausted, but we had a shaman fix you up."

"Am I a prisoner?" Kia asked, suddenly on edge. She hadn't thought of Vera as an enemy before, but if she was a part of the army that attacked Darkshore, then it was possible she wasn't exactly free, regardless of being safe.

"You are a guest, not a prisoner." Came a deep, male voice from the doorway. Kia looked up to see Chieftain Baine Bloodhoof standing in the door.

Kia sat up quickly, but almost as quickly, lowered herself back down, as a wave of dizziness caught her by surprise. Her vision blurred slightly and she fought back nausea. She took several deep breaths in and out.

"Don't try to get up. You've been through a great ordeal." Baine said, entering the room fully and sitting down at the table at the far end, so Kia could see him without sitting up.

Kia marveled at the immense presence of the Tauren Chieftain. She had met other male tauren before, of course, but Baine seemed larger and far more intimidating, somehow.

Vera cleared her throat, deciding formal introductions were in order. "Kia, this is my cousin Baine...obviously. Baine, this is my druid friend Kia."

"It's an honor to meet you, Chieftain." Kia said, though she felt silly being so formal while lying on her back. She didn't exactly feel dignified.

"Likewise, Kia, or should I say, your Majesty?" Baine bowed his head slightly at the recognition. "Vera as spoken of you fondly. I feel like I already know everything about you. Please, call me Baine, there is no need for the formality unless you require it."

Kia shook her head, suddenly feeling beyond tired. "Kia is fine. I'm still not used to the 'your Majesty' stuff."

"Now, as I was saying before, you are not a prisoner. We snuck you away before anyone saw you. We're currently on opposite sides of a war, but I respect Anduin Wrynn too much to simply hand his wife over to Sylvanas, knowing I'd be condemning you to a horrendous fate." Baine paused, as if considering what to say next, then looked Kia in the eyes. "There was your condition to consider, as well."

"Condition?" Kia asked. As far as she knew, she didn't have any condition.

"According to the shaman who healed you, you're in the early stages of pregnancy." Vera replied with a smile.

Kia's jaw dropped. "Pregnant?" Her hand automatically caressed her stomach. "Anduin and I have been trying since before we got married. We knew it would be difficult to get pregnant, considering my unique background, but we were told it was still possible. I had no idea."

Baine shook his head. "I would have condemned you and your baby. We've already stepped over too many lines in this war. I was not going to step over this one."

Kia let a few tears slip out of her eyes. She wasn't normally a crier, but she couldn't control her emotions at the moment. If she had landed anywhere else, things could have been so very different. She could be dead, along with her unborn child and Anduin would never know. She had been lucky. Lucky where she landed. Lucky who found her.

"Thank you. Both of you." She said, looking between Vera and Baine. "I know the risk you're taking for me. For us."

Baine stood. "It was the right thing to do. You should get some rest. Our shaman says there was no impact to the baby from your ordeal, but it's probably better to be safe than sorry. Once you've recovered enough to travel, we'll figure out how to get you home quietly, so we minimize the risk of anyone outside of us finding out about all of this. I regret there is no secure way to contact the king about your safety."

Kia already knew how she'd get back to Stormwind, but she didn't bring it up yet. She was too weak to use the magical method of transportation. She was too weak to do much of anything. She hated to make Anduin worry about her whereabouts, but she had little choice in the matter. She agreed it was too risky for Baine and Vera to try to get a message to Anduin. For the moment she was safe and so were they.

She closed her eyes and quickly fell back asleep.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	45. Chapter 45

Thanks for reading and reviewing. New chapter up.

* * *

When Kia woke up again, she opened her eyes to see an unknown tauren standing over her. This tauren was male, but must have been fairly young, since he was much smaller than Baine and almost ganguly. He smiled down at her when he realized her eyes were open.

"Don't be alarmed. I'm just making sure you're doing alright. I healed you originally, but I just wanted to be certain I didn't miss anything." The tauren said softly. "Oh, I'm Torian, by the way."

"It's nice to meet you, Torian. Thank you for healing me." Kia said, thankful her voice seemed stronger and less raspy.

"You're welcome, your Majesty."

The formality make Kia blush slightly. "No need for the formality, Torian. Call me Kia."

"As you like."

"Where's Vera?" Kia asked.

"Vera and the chieftain are in the front room, having dinner. If you'd like, I can help you up and you can join them. It'd be good for you to eat something too." Torian offered.

"As long as I can sit up today without getting nauseous, then I'd love to."

Torian placed a hand behind Kia's back and helped her sit up slowly. Kia was thankful there was no dizziness or nausea this time around. They both paused for a moment as Kia got her barings. Kia then smiled up at Torian.

"I think we're good." Kia stood, leaning on Torian heavily. "Though if you moved away, I'd probably tip over."

"I'll stay with you, just go slowly." He instructed as he half carried Kia out to door and into an adjacent room, where both Vera and Baine were seated.

"Look who's up and around." Torian announced.

"Well, I'm up, but I'm only around because I'm being helped, but it's better than before." She said, allowing Torian to place her in a seat at the large table.

"How are you feeling?" Vera asked, looking at Kia. "Are you sure you should be moving around?"

"I told her she could." Torian answered for Kia. "She needs to eat and the only medical thing wrong with her at this point is weakness from being injured. She's fully healed. I made sure of it."

Vera offered Kia a bowl of some type of stew. It smelled good and, thankfully, Kia's stomach growled with hunger, rather than lurched with nausea at the scent.

"Thank you." Kia replied, taking a bite.

"We've been trying to think of a good way to get you home. Do you carry a hearthstone?" Baine asked.

Kia smiled at him. "I actually have something better. Anduin and I carry a special stone which allows us to open a portal to a specific location."

"So, you can leave right away." Vera said, sounding relieved. She, no doubt, wanted to get Kia back to Anduin as soon as possible and remove the risk to herself and her cousin from harboring an enemy.

"Unfortunately, no. The stone uses my druidic magic to open the portal. It's a big drain, since the portal does not require a mage to support it. I'm not strong enough to open the portal, let alone hold it open long enough to travel through it."

"Well, you are safe here to recover. This place is entirely secret. I fear we won't be able to notify the king about your safety, but considering the circumstances, this is better than I could have hoped for." Baine said.

Kia could see the regret in Baine. He was an honest and good person and she could tell it pained him not to be able to tell Anduin his wife was safe and sound in his care.

"I am most thankful for everything you have done for me, Baine. I can't even express how thankful." Kia said, almost near tears. She sniffed and cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. I'm not sure why I'm so emotional about all of this."

Vera chuckled. "Your pregnant. It's probably hormones. I'm sure it'll only get worse from here."

Kia chuckled. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I'm pregnant. It doesn't seem real to me, yet."

"Well, with any luck, you'll be home soon. You can stay here as long as you need. I don't want you to risk yourself or your child by trying your portal before you're ready." Baine replied, getting to his feet and stretching.

"I, on the other hand, must return to my army. I don't want my absence to be noticed." He walked around the table and took Kia's hand gently. The size difference was almost comical. "Please give my best wishes to Anduin, since our positions in life prevent us from being true friends. And take care of yourself and your baby. I hope to live to see a time where I can meet him or her in person."

"I wish for that day as well. I thank you again for everything you've done for us. I will never forget your kindness."

With a final bow, Baine left the cave, to presumably hearth back to his people.

Kia sat quietly, thinking about how things would be different now, if only Baine had become warchief instead of Sylvanas.

* * *

To Be Continued...


	46. Chapter 46

New chapter up. Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. I love hearing your feedback. :)

* * *

It had been a week and a half since anyone had seen Kia. Anduin was beside himself with worry, but he had to maintain a presence of strength and calm.

The Alliance had a plan in the works to attack Lordaeron, once Anduin's army was assembled in Stormwind. He was getting full support from the other racial leaders, though the bulk of the night elf forces were still on the other continent, having been unaware of the attack on their home while they sailed to Silithus. They would have no way of getting to the Eastern Shore in time to be of any assistance.

It had been a very long day, discussing the plans with various advisers. It was late in the evening and only Genn remained in the war room with Anduin.

"You should go get some rest, your Majesty. And, get something to eat."

Anduin nodded, but didn't reply, continuing to stare numbly at the map of the Eastern Kingdom on the table, holding small red and blue figures which represented allies and enemies. He had seen his father in this position more times than he could count. It pained him to be performing the same actions and made him miss his father terribly.

"I know you're worried about Kia, we all are, but you can't neglect yourself. The Alliance needs its king."

"I know." Anduin replied softly after a long pause. "It's just...the longer we go without hearing from Kia…" He couldn't finish the statement. He couldn't say the longer she was missing, the more likely she was probably dead. The Azurite fire had burned hot. If she had been caught in the flames and killed, they'd probably never recover a body. He'd never know for sure and that not knowing was killing him. "If she had been captured, we'd have heard about it by now. Sylvanas would not keep having the Queen of Stormwind prisoner to herself. If she were okay, she'd have found a way back here or, at the very least, found a way to contact me. That only leaves..."

Genn placed a hand on Anduin's shoulder. "You can't think like that, Anduin. There are any number of reasons why she can't contact you. Your queen is a very clever young woman. There is still hope."

Anduin nodded, but again, didn't reply. He knew Genn meant well, but Anduin was not in the mood to be optimistic. He did agree that he needed to eat and sleep. If Kia were dead, she wouldn't want him to stop moving forward. She'd probably come back as a ghost and haunt him.

"There is still hope." Anduin finally agreed. "I'll take your advice and get some rest."

Anduin left the war room quietly and Genn watched him go. The older man's heart ached for the young king. He had lost everyone he ever loved, first with his father's death, then with Jaina leaving, and now with his queen missing. If Kia was indeed dead, Genn didn't know if the young man would be able to continue on. Even the will of strong men could be broken by enough tragedy.

* * *

Anduin returned to his chambers, asking for his dinner to be served in his sitting room, rather than the dining room. He and Kia always ate meals in the dining room and he couldn't bring himself to eat in the room alone.

He washed up and changed clothes, then returned to his sitting room to find his dinner already laid out for him. He sat, taking a small white stone out of his pocket, placing it on the table next to his plate where he could see it. The stone had several runes carved into it, each a different color. The stone was larger than a hearthstone, but still small enough to fit in his pocket. This stone was the reason he was so concerned about Kia.

Anduin had spoken to one of the local mages and had come up with an emergency transport for himself and his queen. The stone would summon a portal, which would open in a secret location only Anduin and Kia knew about. What made the portal special was it did not require a mage to be opened. The stone would open a portal that was specifically linked to Anduin's Light magic and Kia's Druidic magic. They were the only ones who could open or close the portals.

The fact that Kia hadn't used her stone was what was worrying Anduin. If she were alive, she'd have used it. Of course, she might not be able to use it because she's unconscious, injured to the point of depleted magic or the stone was taken or lost. This didn't mean she was dead. He kept telling himself that over and over, trying to believe.

Anduin ate his dinner slowly, not eating very much, but enough to at least keep him going and to keep his attendants and advisors from worrying too much about him. He kept eyeing the stone. His stone would vibrate and the runes would glow if Kia's stone was used. So far, his stone remained unchanged.

After dinner, Anduin headed to bed. He was exhausted, but he doubted he'd be able to sleep. He had slept very little since Kia went missing. The only reason he slept at all was due purely to exhaustion.

Just as Anduin slipped under the covers, dreading closing his eyes for yet another night alone, he felt the stone in his pocket as it began to vibrate. He pulled the stone out and it vibrated in this palm. Every rune carved on the stone's surface was glowing.

Without pause, Anduin threw the covers back and headed to the secret safe room at the back of the chamber. This room was known to very few people and only the royal family knew how to access it. It was the perfect location to set the emergency portal.

Anduin quickly located the three stones on the far wall that needed to be pressed in exactly the right order, entering the sequence, then stepped back as the hidden door opened. Inside, there was a portal forming.

After several moments, which could have been a lifetime to Anduin, two figures stepped through, one very much larger than the other. The smaller form was Kia and she was being helped by a female tauren.

Slight panic crossed through Anduin, but when he saw Kia smiling at him, the panic faded. She wouldn't be smiling if the tauren meant her any harm. He rushed up to her, taking his wife from the tauren, hugging her fiercely.

"Thank the Light you're alive." He said. "What happened? Where have you been?"

Kia pulling away. "I'll explain everything, but it'll take a little time. Vera Bloodhoof, Anduin Wrynn. Anduin, Vera." She said quickly.

"It's an honor to meet you, your Majesty." Vera said with a bow.

"You're Kia's druid friend. Baine Bloodhoof's cousin." Anduin said, remembering all the times Kia had mentioned Vera when talking about her druid training and her time in Moonglade. Vera and Kia were best friends, regardless of being on opposite sides of an ongoing war.

"I am."

"We need to let Vera step back through the portal. I'm not sure how long my magic will hold out." Kia said weakly, holding her portal stone in her hand. Anduin could tell her color was fading from the drain on her strength.

Anduin nodded, stepping back. Kia turned and hugged Vera. "Thanks for everything. I'm in your debt. Your's and Baine's. Thank him again for me."

"I will Ki. Just take care of yourself. Hopefully, we'll get a chance to talk again soon. Under better circumstances, of course."

With a final nod, Vera stepped back through the portal, the portal closing once she was through. With a sigh of relief, Kia put her stone back in her belt, then collapsed into Anduin's arms. He lifted her up and carried her out of the safe room and to the bed, laying her down gently.

"I really didn't have enough strength to use the portal yet, but I needed to get home. I couldn't leave you here alone, thinking I was dead."

"Well, you're home now and that is all that matters. What happened to you? Malfurion said you were helping to evacuate Darnassus. Why didn't you come through with the others?'"

"Because I'm stubborn. I had to do a final flyby, to make sure everyone still alive was evacuated. The smoke and heat were too much for me and I was too far from Darnassus to make it back, so I flew straight up and out of Teldrassil. I was overwhelmed. I crashed landed across the sea and passed out. Thankfully, my less than perfect landing was close to the tauren army and witnessed by Vera. I was very thankful I crashed where I did, otherwise, I might be a prisoner of the Horde right now. Or dead."

Anduin stood, got Kia a goblet of water, and returned to the bed. He could tell she was still not exactly back to normal. Healed, perhaps, but not back to her old self. She looked weak and very pale.

"I woke up a day later in a secret location known only to members of the bloodhoof family. Baine told me he couldn't just hand me over to Sylvanas, like he should have. He knew what she'd do to me, and he couldn't in good conscience do that to you. He said he once saw you as a friend and couldn't condemn your wife to a fate worse than death. He took a great risk, saving me and hiding me the way he did."

Anduin smiled. "Baine is an honorable man. I owe him much for saving you."

"Not just me." Kia said quietly, looking into Anduin's eyes. "While I was being healed, they discovered that I'm pregnant."

Anduin's jaw dropped. "Pregnant?" He said softly, more to himself than Kia.

"Just a couple of weeks along, according to the tauren shaman who healed me."

Anduin took her hands. "And the ordeal you went through, it didn't…"

"Apparently, the fetus is healthy, but I'd like to get checked out by a local healer to be totally sure."

Without another word, Anduin stood up and went to the door. Pulling it open, he got the attention of one of his guards. "Summon the archbishop, at once." The guard nodded and Anduin closed the door, returning to Kia's side.

"It doesn't need to be this exact moment, Anduin."

Anduin shook his head. "No, it needs to be now. If you're pregnant, I won't be able to rest until I know for sure the baby is alright. Humor me."

Kia smiled at her husband and nodded. To be honest, she was just as eager to confirm the health of her unborn child, not to mention, confirm its existence. Not that she didn't trust Torian's word, but the tauren was a young shaman. He might have been mistaken.

About ten minutes later, there was a knock at the door and Archbishop Benedictus entered, looking worried and slightly out of breath. Rightfully so, considering he had been summoned in the middle of the night by the king and he wasn't a young man anymore.

"Your Majesty, what's…." He stopped talking when he saw Kia.

"She came back by portal a few minutes ago." Anduin said quietly, feeling free to tell the Archbishop about how Kia returned to them, since he was one of the very few people who knew about their portal stones, even if he didn't know the portal location. "She was healed, but she was also told she's pregnant. Can you check her over?" Anduin asked.

The Archbishop was surprised by the news, but nodded and approached Kia, sitting next to her. "Of course. You do know, your Majesty, you could have done this yourself. Your healing is more powerful than my own."

Anduin stood nervously, arms crossed over his chest. "I know, but I know nothing about pregnancy. I wanted someone experienced in the matter to make sure everything's okay."

There were a few minutes of silence as the archbishop used his power to examine Kia, the golden glow of the Light filling the room. When the light faded, the archbishop turned and looked at the king with a smile.

"Well, you may not know much about pregnancy, but you're going to have to learn. Kia is indeed pregnant. Not very far along, but still, very much pregnant. The baby seems healthy. Congratulations, your Majesty." He stood and allowed Anduin to take his place next to Kia.

Anduin hugged Kia, who was crying.

"In the morning, I'll inform the royal midwife she has a new patient. Is there anything else you require of me tonight?"

"No, thank you Benedictus. Other than the midwife, please keep this news to yourself."

"Of course, your Majesty. This isn't my first rodeo with royal pregnancy." He said jokingly.

Anduin knew the Archbishop had been in attendance for his birth. It made him happy to think he might be present for his child's birth, as well.

"Congratulations again." He said again, before bowing slightly and leaving the room.

Kia pulled away from Anduin and smiled. "You look exhausted. Let's get some rest. I'm barely able to keep my eyes open."

Anduin nodded, tucking Kia in on her side, then crossed over and got into the bed on his side, sliding over to wrap his arms around his wife. To wrap his arms around his family.

* * *

To Be Continued...


End file.
